Innocence
by kit-kat-151
Summary: L and Light seem to have developed feelings for one another - but of course both are just too proud to admit it - and now they are handcuffed together!
1. 23rd July 2004

**Chapter 1 - 23rd July 2004**

"Is this really necessary Ryuzaki?" Light asked as the detective handcuffed them together. He tried to look annoyed, but really he was intrigued by the situation._ L, do you realise what you're getting yourself into? And what will people think when we leave a hotel room handcuffed together…_

"I'm not doing this because I want to." L said.

Light couldn't tell if he was imagining the enthusiasm in L's voice. _L, what are you hiding..._

Then Misa interrupted.

"Huh this is what you meant by being together 24 hours a day?" she demanded. "Two guys chained together is gross, this is what you're into? You were with Light at school too..."

"I'm not doing this because I want to!" L insisted, wondering if the girl wasn't as dumb as she looked. _Is she onto me?_

"But Light belongs to me... and if you're always together, then when am I supposed to go on dates with Light?"

Light felt a surge of anger at her attitude. _Since when do I belong to anyone? Especially a girl! Especially a ridiculously annoying girl! _He tried not to react to her pathetic insistence on dates. _Why, oh why, doesn't she just shut up already?_

"The dates will naturally be with the three of us..." L said.

"WHA? You're saying we have to kiss in front of you?" Misa said.

_Eugh._ Light's stomach churned at the thought of kissing her. Again.

"I didn't say you have to do anything, but I will be watching..." Light noticed the increasing annoyance in the detective's voice, carefully hidden behind false patience, as if L were talking to a child.

"Huh? What the hell? I knew it! You are a pervert!"

_God Misa is annoying. _Light distracted himself by running over various ways of getting rid of her.

L turned to him. "Light-Kun please shut Misa-San up."

_Finally! _Light thought, amazed that L had put up with her stupid questions for so long.

"Misa don't be so difficult." Light said. "You were definitely the one who sent those videos; be grateful that you're allowed this much freedom."

"Hey what are you saying Light? I'm your girlfriend right? Don't you trust your lover?"

"Girlfriend?" Light almost snorted. "All I know is that you say you fell in love with me at first sight and now you won't leave me alone." He thought afterwards that he probably shouldn't have said it so harshly but, then again, it was all true.

"Then you took advantage of that and kissed me...?"

Misa began hitting him and it took all of Light's self-control not to retaliate. _I only kissed her to shut her up? Not that it worked… _

"About this love at first sight..." L interrupted. He was fed up of watching the couple fight. He questioned Misa about her relationship with Light, their meeting and her views on Kira. All of her responses convinced him that she was the second Kira, and that he was right to keep her under observation. He explained to her about the living arrangements, noting the disappointment in Light's face when he said that their hotel rooms were connected. S_urely he isn't that opposed to having his girlfriend nearby?_

L was relieved when Aizawa finally removed the girl and he could focus on Light.

"Light-kun," he asked, "are you serious about Amane?" _Please say no. Please say no. Please say no._

"No, as I said, it's all one sided."

_Thank God! You could do so much better! _L hated seeing Light with that brat. "Then could you at least act like you're serious about her?" he asked. He hated to do it, but Kira had to be caught. "We know that she is involved with the second Kira from the video tape evidence... and also that she loves you." L wasn't happy about that last part.

"You want me to get close to her and make her reveal things about the second Kira?" Light sounded reluctant, and L guessed that was understandable. He felt bad for trying to make Light spend more time with her.

"Yes I think you are capable of doing it Light-kun. This is one of the reasons that I released the two of you." _One of the very minor reasons…_

"Ryuzaki, even if it is to solve the Kira case, I could never play with a woman's emotions like that."

_Wow! He's so noble! _L thought.

"I'm sorry," Light continued, "but you need to understand that to me taking advantage of a person's feelings like that is the most despicable thing a person can do."

L began to panic. _Does that mean he thinks I am despicable for suggesting it?_

A new expression crossed L's face; Light thought he looked worried.

"What's wrong Ryuzaki?" _Is he disappointed because I said no?_

"Nothing," L replied. "You're right Light-kun, but I would appreciate it if you could remind her to make sure she doesn't reveal things about our investigation to anyone"

* * *

It had only been a few hours and already L was regretting his insistence on being handcuffed at all times. He hadn't really thought it through, but if he backed down now Light/Kira would win. He was starting to wonder how they were going to do private things, like bathing. Would Light laugh at his bath-time habits? Perhaps he should try showering instead. Would they have to shower together, or would it be possible to wash one at a time? L glanced sideways at the young man he was chained to. Light was smiling, and no doubt he had some plan to ruin L's day further.

Light was annoyed about having his freedom restricted, and in such a ridiculous manner, however, he could think of worse people to be chained to. He allowed himself to smile slightly at the detective's nervous behaviour. _This is going to be fun._ He had forgotten quite how innocent L was - not that he was planning to take advantage of the man.

* * *

It was getting late and the rest of the task force had retired for the night, but L and Light remained at their computers. They hadn't spoken to each other since the others had left, not knowing how to respond when the task force had bid them goodnight and wished them pleasant dreams. Neither of them wanted to bring up the subject of sleeping together. Now the silence was thick and intense, and both were determined not to break it.

L knew it couldn't last much longer now. He was rapidly running out of sweets, and he was desperate to use the toilet; neither of them had been all day. Surely Light couldn't hold out much longer. L chanced a sideways glance at the teen, who was staring blankly at his computer.

"L, will you please stop looking at me like that, unless that is why you suggested this ridiculous situation? Just so you could stare at me?" Light spoke each word accusingly, through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry Light-Kun." L said. "I have no such desire to stare at you. I was merely wondering if you might accompany me to the kitchen. I have run out of sweets, also, I um, I need to use the toilet facilities."

Light smiled, he'd known L would cave in first. His cheeks were tinged pink, and he wouldn't make eye contact. Light had never seen the detective embarrassed before; this side of L was even more adorable than the one he was used to.

"Of course L. I too could use a trip to the bathroom." Light said.

"Good. Um, Light? I was wondering, how do you think we should wash?"  
"Well we could always take a romantic bubble bath together" Light whispered, leaning towards the detective, a small smile spreading across his face at the thought.

L promptly fell off his chair, wide eyed and choking on his cake. Light couldn't help laughing, despite his disappointment; he would have loved to share a candle-lit bath with the detective.

L, picked himself up awkwardly, hoping Light wouldn't notice the blush in his cheeks, or the slight sway in his step. He headed for the bathroom, dragging the teen behind him.

"Light-kun, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from making jokes in such questionable taste." L said as they reached the toilets, hurrying into the first cubicle and slamming the door. "You wait there." he ordered.

Once inside, he placed one palm against the door to steady himself. He felt faint, and he had no idea whether this was due to lack of sugar, Light's suggestion of a romantic bath, standing up too quickly or a combination of all three. _Calm down L. _He told himself.

Light had never seen the detective move so fast or sound so angry. _Was L really that offended by the idea of candles and bubbles and… _Light's thoughts began to trail in a dangerous direction _…and our two naked bodies touching underwater. L's beautiful black hair dripping over his face, stopping just short of those perfect lips, lips which could… fuck. _Light felt his pants tighten; he couldn't afford to think about L like that now. He heard the toilet flush and the cubicle door unlock, and as L opened it, Light dived into the next cubicle along.

L was surprised by Lights sudden desperation to use the toilet. Maybe the teen had needed to go as much as he had, but been hiding it well, or maybe… L's mind wondered back to the bath suggestion. _No, surely not. Light was joking._

After a few minutes, Light emerged and they both went to wash their hands at the basins.

"Light-Kun?" L asked. "Seriously, how do you think we should wash?"

Light turned pink. "Um, we could take separate shower cubicles with the chain going over the top?"

"Ah yes, that might work," L replied. "I prefer to wash in the morning, so shall we turn in now?"

"Yes, of course." Light was relieved; he wouldn't have to worry about L's body giving away his feelings for the detective until tomorrow.


	2. 24th July 2004 AM

**Chapter 2 - 24th July 2004 (Morning)**

Neither of them slept that night. Both were highly aware of one another's presence in the bed, despite being as far apart as possible. They had found getting undressed to be a problem and left their shirts hanging on the chain between them. The shirts were now entwined in the middle of the bed, oblivious to their owners feigned dislike for one another...

L was obviously used to not sleeping. Light, however, was used to getting at least good few hours a night. He had tried, but there was no way he was going to fall asleep whilst sharing a bed with L. He could feel the warmth radiating from the detective's skin, teasing him, reminding him of the hot shirtless man beside him.

As soon as the first light began to shine through the curtains, meaning it was an acceptable time to get up, both men stopped pretending to sleep, but as soon as L suggested showering, Light wished they were still in bed. He had been uncomfortable enough last night, just seeing L topless; he didn't think he could cope with any more.

L was nervous as they entered the hotel's communal showers. He was not at all toned or attractive, like the boy he was chained to. He had been embarrassed last night, when Light had seen him topless. _Maybe I should have the chain removed. After all, there is still the problem of our shirts tangled between us. We can't shower like that… _

As L considered removing the chain, something inside him started to panic, part of him wanted to shower with Light. He needed the chain. Without it, Light would be free to go, and L didn't want him to leave. Before the younger man could complain, L ripped the shirts from the chain, tearing through the sleeves.

"L what are you doing?" Light shouted. "Shirts cost money; you have just destroyed one of my favourites!"

"Sorry," L mumbled, slightly shocked at his own behaviour. "I will buy you a replacement Light-Kun, but at least now we can get dressed in these whilst we are chained together."

"Are you stupid?" Light yelled "I am not wearing the same shirt for however long it takes you to decide I am innocent."

"Watari will have it washed for you." L said. _But I will probably never be ready to release you, Light-Kun._

Light stared at the torn shirts. L had always seemed so rational - quirky and strange, yes - but not a closet shirt killer. He watched as L fingered the waistband of the jeans he had slept in and stepped into the shower cubicle.

"Light-Kun? Are you getting in?"

Light climbed into the cubicle next to L's, removing his boxers and hanging them over the cubicle door. The chain was long enough that showering wasn't too awkward, but still annoying.

L started singing singing - nothing Light recognised, just mindlessly La La La-ing, _Probably some sort of ode to a strawberry shoelace._ Light smiled.

"L? What are you singing?" he asked. The tune was somehow familiar, although he couldn't quite place it.

"You don't recognise it?"

"No. Well, sort of." Light admitted.

"Oh." L said, "Your girlfriend sings it on the advert. It's the song for my favourite chocolates." L was surprised that Light didn't know the song. _Maybe he really doesn't like her at all._

"I guessed it was something like that," Light laughed. "You sing quite well."

L was glad that Light couldn't see him blush. He had never sung in front of anyone before._ He said I sing well!_ L grinned stupidly to himself. _He likes my voice!_ L was so busy replaying Light's compliment that he didn't notice the teen calling his name.

"L?" Light called. "L, I need some help. L? Are you even listening to me?"

"Sorry Light-Kun," L said. "I wasn't listening, what did you want?"

"I've, um… dropped the soap." Light mumbled.

"I see, and why are you telling me this Light-Kun?" the detective asked.

"I can't reach it."

"Well I certainly can't."

"Can you put your arm up so I can reach further?" Light said.

"Oh, I see." L lifted his arm as high as he could. "Can you get it now?"

"No, I still can't reach." _Stupid, Stupid Light!_

"You could borrow my soap for now, and pick it up later?" L offered, wondering if this was an acceptable thing for a friend to suggest.

"Erm, okay." Light took the soap L waved over the door. "Thanks." _Now focus Light. Don't think. Just wash._

Light began to wash himself with L's soap, but he couldn't stop himself from imagining L using it only moments before, L standing naked just the other side of the flimsy green plastic wall.

Light fantasised about breaking through the wall and pinning L against the one opposite, forcing him into a rough kiss and…

L's voice startled Light from his daydreaming and the borrowed soap jumped out of his hands to join his own on the floor.

"Yes L." Light sighed, praying the detective didn't know what he had been thinking about.

"Can I have my soap back now?" L realised he should have waited till he had finished before giving it to Light.

"Not really. I dropped it." Light admitted. _Wow! Brilliant one Light! Great way to impress him. Now you look like an idiot who can't even wash properly!_

"Are you really that clumsy?"

"It's your fault." Light said.

"How could it possibly be my fault?" L sounded upset.

"Um…" Light couldn't tell L it was because he was too damn hot for his own good. "Because you are the one who wanted to be chained together so badly." he said.

* * *

The rest of the task force was already waiting when they returned, with dripping wet hair and ripped shirts, to the room which served as headquarters,

"Back to work then I think." L took his seat in front of the monitors and began munching on the goodies Watari had provided for breakfast. Just as he reached out for his fifth cupcake, he was dragged to his feet as Light chased Matsuda across the room, and pinned him against the wall. Shock and, for the first time in his life, jealousy raced through the detective, but it soon became apparent that Light was only trying to kill Matsuda. _Only trying to kill! That shouldn't be a good thing! _the voice in his head warned.

"Light-Kun, I believe attempted murder would greatly increase the chance of you being Kira" L put forward, hoping to defuse the situation.

"But Ryuzaki, you didn't hear what he said!" Light growled.

"What did he say?" L wondered how Light was going to justify his behaviour, but the teenager just blushed and looked at the floor.

"Matsuda?" L asked, somewhat more aggressively than he had intended. He couldn't help but be envious of how close Matsuda had been to Light moments before.

"I was only joking." Matsuda mumbled, looking embarrassed. "I just asked Light if showering with the famous recluse L was hot. I didn't mean it!"

Now L blushed; he was confused and upset. Why would Matsuda say something like that? Why had Light reacted in such a manner? and why did it hurt that Matsuda was laughing at his non-sexiness?

"I'm sorry if I overreacted, L. I was insulted by what he was implying." Light noticed L look away quickly as if to hide his face. _Is L crying?_

Once everything had settled back to normal, Light whispered to L, "Are you ok?"

"Of course I am. Why do you ask?"

"I noticed you seemed a little upset earlier, and I wondered what was behind it."

"I don't know what you mean Light-Kun." L stared blankly at the screen. Something inside him was dancing. _Light noticed. Light is concerned about me! Maybe he feels the same… No, he was just being a friend. He has Misa._

Light relaxed. L seemed happy enough now; he must have imagined it. _When did I become so protective of him?_ Light hadn't chased Matsuda around for the reason he had given. He'd taken Matsuda's comment as an insult to L, and had leapt to defend him, before thinking.


	3. 24th July 2004 PM

**Chapter 3 - 24th July 2004 (Afternoon)**

The task force had been working in silence for hours. Light was in need of a break by the time Misa came dancing into the room, dragging behind her an unhappy Matsuda, who had been given strict instructions to keep her out of the way.

"Hello everyone!" she chirped, running in Light's direction.

Light sighed, and glanced sideways at the detective as his girlfriend bounded over to hug him.

"Hello Misa" he said. L was staring at them. Misa hugged Light tightly, and he gently hugged back, careful not to give her any ideas, but romantically enough that no one would notice how much he wished she would go away.

He didn't understand why she was so obsessed with him. He didn't even remember meeting Misa, but it was good for his parents to believe he was straight.

Light closed his eyes as she gave him a quick, innocent kiss, no doubt she only left it at that due to their audience. Never had Light been so grateful for his father's presence in the room - or so embarrassed.

He opened his eyes to find that thankfully L was no longer watching them. Instead the detective was staring blankly at a computer screen, oddly biting his lower lip. For the second time that day, Light was struck with the impression that L was on the verge of tears.

"Lunch?" L suggested. He didn't usually eat lunch, preferring to snack continuously, but today he would put up with a meal. It was preferable to watching Misa throw herself all over her clearly uninterested boyfriend.

* * *

As L sat in the restaurant Mr. Yagami had chosen, he pondered over Lights behaviour towards Misa. He couldn't understand why the teen wasn't attracted to the young model, when most men would give anything to be in Light's position. Of course, L did not include himself in the category of most men. He would hate to be in Light's position. In fact, there was a 57.3% chance that he liked Misa even less than Light did.

L glanced at the couple and almost choked on the sugar cubes he was eating. Misa had managed to squeeze herself between a miserable Light and an embarrassed Matsuda. She was trying to feed Light a prawn from her salad. Light seemed to be hoping she would give up if he ignored her long enough. He was pretending to be deep in conversation with his father. L watched them, wondering if Light would take something if he were to be the one offering it_. That would annoy Misa._ He smiled

Light could see the prawn, floating in his peripheral vision and bobbing slightly; it had been there for a good few minutes or so, occasionally bumping into his cheek as Misa tried to get his attention. Unfortunately, his father was beginning to run out of things to tell him about soup and he didn't have anything else to pretend to be interested in. But he really didn't want the prawn. He didn't like prawns; you'd think his girlfriend should know that, shouldn't she?

"Light-Kun?" L's voice startled Light, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Yes Ryuzaki? He replied. L hadn't spoken since suggesting lunch, so Light was curious to see what was coming next. Whatever he was expecting, it wasn't what happened. L held out a sugar cube.

"Light-Kun, please try one of these. They are some of the nicest sugar cubes I have ever tasted." L brought the cube to Light's lips. _Is this a test? If I don't take the sugar cube, does that mean I'm Kira? What will everyone think of L feeding me? _Light hesitated, looking not at the small cube of sugar, but at L's fingers holding it. Now that was something he did want to taste. He gave in, opening his lips for L to feed him. He tasted the sweetness of the sugar, and felt L's fingers brush his lips sensuously… or was that just wishful thinking? He looked into the detective's eyes and, for a moment, he was sure he had seen something in them, something warm and inviting.

"Yes Ryuzaki" he smiled. "That was by far the most enjoyable sugar cube I have ever eaten."

L smiled, he looked past Light into Misa's shocked face. It didn't matter so much that Light hadn't eaten the sugar for the reasons L so desperately wanted him to, what mattered was that he had succeeded where Misa had failed – and she knew it.

* * *

Back at the hotel, after another few hours of working solidly, the task force gave up for the night, leaving the handcuffed pair behind again.

"L?"

"Yes Light-Kun?"  
"What was the whole sugar cube thing about?" _Please don't just say they were nice!_

"I told you. They were nice."

_Damn it!_ "That was all? It wasn't a test?" Light didn't think he could believe the detective anyway.

"Hmm." L frowned. "You think that I was trying to prove you are Kira with sugar? If you are that paranoid, maybe I should raise your percentage chance of being Kira."

"What? so it was a test? or is this the test?" _just give me a straight answer damn you!_

L didn't reply, he simply grinned at Light. He was so cute when he was confused.

"L, stop playing with my head!" Light shouted. "You're driving me crazy!"

L grinned more at this. _Wow. I drive you crazy Light-Kun? _

Taking L's grin to mean that the detective was actually trying to annoy him, Light stood up, intending to storm off and sulk.

"Light-Kun? You do realise you are chained to me?"

Light snarled in frustration. He knew he was being stupid, but he had wanted to believe that there had been something more to L's stunt in the restaurant. He had been hoping it meant something. He slammed his fist into the wall.

"I can't believe it's only been one day!" he yelled, pummelling the wall with each word.


	4. 25th July 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 4 - 25th July 2004

Light opened his eyes slowly, amazed that he had managed to fall asleep. His watch showed the time to be 2:39 am. He glanced to his right; L was curled up under the duvet, still hugging his knees to his chest. _Is he asleep? _Light was relieved; he had been worried that L had trouble sleeping. Light leaned over the sleeping detective, he looked so peaceful, relaxed even. Light was sorely tempted to reach out and touch the older man, brush his hair aside, kiss him, but he knew better than to give in to temptation. He knew he shouldn't have these feelings for the man who seemed intent on keeping him prisoner, but the more he buried these desires the more they seemed to pop up at really inappropriate times. He was sure L must think he was crazy, he remembered how he had lost it last night and examining his fist, he felt the bruises forming, _was I really punching the wall that hard?_

A few hours later L's eyes flashed open, he was immediately wide awake.  
"Good morning Light kun." He chirped, causing Light to jump, the boy had been sitting on the edge of the bed, examining his injured hand. L wasn't surprised, he had never seen anything so frightening, or so exciting, as Light Yagami losing his temper. He tried to remember if Light had dented the wall.  
"Good morning L. did you sleep well? Light asked, smiling at the detective.  
"Yes thank you," L replied "how is your hand?"  
"Sore," Light laughed. "I am sorry about last night L. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that."  
"Don't worry about it, I am just glad it was only the wall you attacked," L smiled at him. Maybe things were going to get easier between them after all.

Light was surprised by L's good mood this morning, as he chattered away whilst they walked to the showers.

They washed without talking, L was absent-mindedly singing again, and not wanting him to stop, Light kept his mouth shut and focused on keeping his soap under control. He would have been perfectly happy to stay in the little cubicle listening to L sing forever.

"Light-Kun? Are you done washing now?" L's feet were beginning to wrinkle in the small pool of water and he really did need to get back to work.  
"Yeah, ready to catch Kira?" Light was in a great mood and feeling optimistic.

They returned to the hotel room amid stares and whisperings from the hotel's other guests and Light noticed a couple of teenage girls staring at them in a rather perverted manner, and he smiled as he turned to meet L's eyes.  
"How about we give them something to stare at?" he whispered to the detective holding out his cuffed hand.

L was surprised at Lights suggestion, maybe the staring girls were annoying him too,_ so why not wind them up_ he reasoned, as he nervously took Lights hand in his. _Wow! _L felt a jolt of electricity as their fingers entwined. He knew this was a stupid idea, but it seemed to have the desired effect, the girls were staring even harder now.

Light was annoyed, _this isn't right;_ He wished they weren't staring,_ stupid yaoi fan girls. _This should have been a private moment, he wanted to be alone with the detective, but at the same time he knew that if they were alone this wouldn't be happening. It was just L's childish nature playing along, just to annoy the girls, He knew there was no way L had felt the electricity he had felt as they touched.

They let go of each others hands only when they reached the room, they didn't really want to explain anything to the task force.

"Any new leads?" L asked hopefully as he settled into a chair in front of the monitors with the plate full of chocolates that Watari had given him. _Surely that's not a healthy breakfast? _Light thought as he picked at what was left of breakfast room service. He continued to watch as L picked up the first strawberry filled chocolate and delicately removed the disk at the base, licking happily at the contents. _how cute, weird but definitely hot, _Light turned back to the computer in front of him, _why can't I even watch the guy eat without having all these perverted thoughts?_ Light asked himself, _sure, I've always had a bit of a dirty mind but it can't just be me, no else eats so suggestively, maybe he isn't as innocent as I think? He must have some idea what he is doing to me_ Light couldn't resist another look at the detective, a look badly timed to coincide with L biting into another of the chocolates, allowing the sweet filling to spill out, around his lips, _don't even think it Light,_ he commanded himself, unable to look away as the detective's skilled tongue darted out to catch the thick liquid which was now dripping down his chin. Light looked away quickly, desperate for a distraction, he glared at the computer screen. _why am I so into him? He's just a guy, not even my type._ Light tried unsuccessfully to play down the way he felt for the detective _just a crush_ he repeated to himself _or Stockholm Syndrome_ he thought darkly and then smiled at the ridiculous thought.

"Light-Kun? What are you smiling at?" L asked nervously, Light had seemed to be deep in thought for some time now.  
"Nothing really" he replied looking up at the man he was chained to, relieved to see that he had finished the chocolates for now. "I was just thinking about something."  
"oh" L replied, wondering what it was that Light didn't want to talk about.

They worked quietly for most of the day, growing frustrated when the could find no new leads, nothing that stood out amongst the killings.  
"Lets just call it a day, we're not finding anything like this." One of the task force suggested that evening, L didn't bother looking round to see who it was. Glad in a way, that they would be leaving soon, he enjoyed spending time alone with Light.

As the first members of the task force began to trail back to their homes or hotel rooms, L noticed Watari approach him, looking slightly uncomfortable about something.  
"Master L" Watari began gently, "I would like a word with you, away from the task force if possible"  
"I'm afraid that is impossible, as I will not remove the handcuffs."L rattled the chain as if to emphasise his point.  
"No, well, I think it would be best for Light to join us, there is something we need to discuss." L was surprised,_ what could Watari possibly have to say to Light?_  
"We can go to our room." he suggested, he was curious now.

They walked in silence to the hotel room they were sharing, and Watari motioned for the boys to sit down.

Light felt awkward, he didn't like the way Watari glared at him as he perched nervously on the edge of their bed.

"You can probably guess what I am concerned about," Watari began, and Light glanced sideways at L, noticing that the detective wore a completely bewildered expression, clearly he didn't understand either.

"Actually no, I haven't a clue what you would want to speak to both of us about" L told him, slightly annoyed now, _I might be clever, but how am I supposed to know what Watari is thinking?_

Slightly red now the older man continued, "I am referring to your behaviour in the hotel corridors this morning" _Oh! _L understood now, _Watari must have seen us holding hands and assumed the worst…or best._

"I think you may have it wrong Watari-San, the two of us, that is to say L and myself, we were only having a bit of fun." Watari glared at Light so hard that the brunette was sure he was going to pass out "not like that," the teen continued hurriedly "we were just……"

L could see that Light was struggling, "What he is trying to say is that we where only pretending to…." he paused, wondering how to phrase it without lying completely, "…..to have feelings for one another" he concluded, although he knew it was a lie on his part.

Watari appeared to consider this for a while, L imagined that he was having some sort of internal debate as to whether he wanted any more information. "Just don't do it again L" he said at length as he walked out of the room, leaving the handcuffed pair alone for the night.

_Thanks for the reviews guys, just so you know - I have written upto Chapter 10 and will try and upload them all as soon as i can, please let me know what you like/dislike about my writing._

_Thanks_

_Katie_


	5. 26th July 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 5 - 26th July 2004

L was tired, he never slept two nights in a row, but at least he was usually able to get some work done. He had found it impossible to concentrate all night, he couldn't keep his mind on the case, because it refused to stop thinking about Light Yagami, Light had fallen asleep around two am, and L had watched him for a while, but even now, hours later, with his back to the sleeping adolescent, he couldn't focus, he couldn't help but glance at him every few minutes, surely this wasn't good, wasn't healthy, L reasoned with himself, Light had to be Kira. How could L have feelings for Kira, a mass murderer? How had this happened? He couldn't afford to be distracted like this! Giving up in frustration he angrily snapped shut the laptop he had been trying to work with.

Today would be his third day chained to Light-Kun, L tried to relax by thinking through the day ahead, in about half an hour or so Light would wake up and they would go off to have their morning showers together. That would be nice, the warm water was sure to relax him. He lay back into his pillow, resigned now to watching Light sleep.

***********************************************************************************

When light opened his eyes he was surprised to find them level with another pair, a familiar pair of large dark eyes, framed unevenly by messy black hair.  
"Good morning Light-Kun!" L smiled at him,  
"Is it?" Light replied suspiciously  
"Of course it is! Come on, Get up!" L tugged at the duvet.  
"L? Are you ok?" Light smiled nervously at the detective, he had never seen L playful before, he held on to the duvet tightly, rolling over and pretending to go back to sleep, _what will you do now L?_ He grinned as he closed his eyes. Only to open them moments later as a pillow collided with the back of his head scattering feathers everywhere. Light sat up and grabbed the pillow he had been sleeping on, whacking the laughing detective over the head with it. L gasped in mock surprise and playfully snatched Light's pillow, adding it to the pile he had gathered the rest of them into and as Light lunged for the pile L threw himself over it protectively, so that light landed on top of him.

Light smirked at the detective below him _hmmm, L, I wonder if you are ticklish?_ He pinned the older man's arms above his head with one hand and reached for one of the fallen feathers with the other, smiling as L squirmed uncomfortably, trying to escape.  
"You're my prisoner now," Light whispered in the detective's ear, his voice sending shivers down L's spine.

L's mind was racing, how was he going to regain the upper hand? Light was clearly stronger than him, pinning him down so easily with just one arm. He wondered if he was ticklish. No one had ever tried to tickle him before. There must be a way to escape, _maybe if I twisted a bit…_

Light watched as L tried to escape him, managing to wriggle one leg from under him and push it against Lights shoulder. _Wow, he's flexible!_ Light couldn't help but notice how sexual this position was, how hot L was. He wondered if L would mind terribly if he kissed him. He gently stroked the feather across L's stomach, watching the smile spread across L's face. _So you are ticklish!_

About ten minutes later L managed to choke out between giggles - "Light-Kun - stopit - Light! - we - haveto -showernow - Liiighhhtt."

Light sighed. "I guess you're right L, they will wonder where we are" Light was reluctant to stop touching the dark haired man, the feather had been long abandoned and Light was running his fingers across the detective, having found a very ticklish spot just below his navel. He had been gradually moving his hand lower, just to see how far he could go before he chickened out, and he had to admit to himself he probably wouldn't have ventured much further. He ran his palm across the detective's chest one last time before he released him and got up, leaving L stretched out across the bed, trying to catch his breath, exhausted from all the laughing and struggling. Light smiled at the sight, being chained up like this was great, and with L being so innocent it was easy to confuse the lines between friendship and, what was it? Love? Lust? Light didn't know, both maybe, he hadn't really felt this strongly for anyone before now.

***********************************************************************************

"Morning L, Light." Mr Yagami greeted them as they joined the task force.  
"Morning" Light mumbled, he wasn't really looking forward to another day of this, he didn't like being around the others "where is Misa today?" he asked glad that she didn't seem to be with them.  
"She had a modelling job to go to" Watari informed them, "Matsuda has gone with her." Light nodded at him, _good, at least she won't be around this morning._

L tried not to panic, he was L, he was supposed to be calm, indifferent, _But why? Why does he care about her? He said it was all one sided, but he must care if the first thing he does is ask about her. _L headed for his usual chair, dragging Light along behind him.

_What's his problem?_ Light wondered, L had seemed so happy this morning, _Have I done something wrong? Is he mad at me?_  
"L? Are you ok?" he whispered,  
"Yes Light-Kun. I am perfectly fine." the detective told him angrily handing him a pile of papers, Please take a look at these Light-Kun, I was going to have Matsuda do the boring work, but seeing as he has to run around after your girlfriend I think you should do it. _Damn it, he is mad at me. Did I go too far with the tickling this morning? I thought he was enjoying it too, maybe if I apologise._  
"Look L, I'm sorry." he whispered again to the detective, he knew L had heard him, but the man didn't even turn to face him.

_Sorry? What is he sorry for? _L couldn't work it out _sorry for Misa-San? Sorry he likes her better? Is that it? He can see what's happening and he is apologising for not feeling the same about me?_ L blinked repeatedly as his monitor began to blur, he discreetly rubbed the tears away as they began to run down his face. _Stupid L, this is stupid! Of course he doesn't feel the same! Why would he? When did I start hoping that he did? He has a girlfriend, so obviously he's not gay! What?! Gay? Am I gay?_ he surreptitiously stole a glance at the teenage boy sitting on the floor with the paperwork, and felt his pulse quicken, he looked around the room at the other men, well he certainly didn't find any of them attractive, he tried to think back to the women he had met in his life, but the list was fairly short, Naomi had been pretty he supposed, but he hadn't felt attracted to her, and then there was Misa, most men seemed crazy about her, but he just couldn't see it. _Wow, I'd never realised before. I don't like women, how strange._

"Light-Kun?"  
"Yes L?" Light responded immediately, glad that the detective was talking to him again.  
"I would like to make a phone call….in private" L looked slightly uncomfortable, "would you mind waiting outside our door?"  
"No, that's fine." Light replied, _who are you going to call? Is it about Kira? Or is it a personal call?_  
L led the way through the hotel to their bedroom and shut the door on light, the chain trailing under the door between them. As soon as he was inside he pulled out his cell phone.

"Hi, Mell, it's me." he spoke quickly into his phone  
"L? Is it really you?" L pictured the blonde boy's face as he greeted him in surprise.  
"Yeah, Mello, can I ask you something?"  
"Sure"  
"How did you know?" L breathed down the phone,  
"Know what?"  
"About," L hesitated "about Matt?"  
"Know what about Matt? L what is this?"  
"That you liked him Mell? How did you know you were, you know,"  
"Gay? L are you asking me how I knew I was gay or something?"  
"Yes Mell, that's what I am asking you."  
"Why?"  
"It doesn't matter; let's just say it's about the Kira case."  
"Kira? you think Kira is gay?" L stifled a laugh _no, I __**wish**__ Kira was gay._  
"maybe," he answered "but how do you know if you are?"  
"L? are we talking about you or Kira here?"  
"Does it matter, just tell me Mello." _Maybe I should have phoned Matt, he wouldn't have cared._  
"Wow, you think you're gay? Have you met someone?"  
"no" L lied, "just tell me, please?"

Light knew it was wrong but even so, he pressed his ear against the door, straining to hear L's side of the conversation, _I don't know who Matt is but he definitely just said Kira case? if it's about Kira, why doesn't he want us to know? Maybe he will tell us afterwards. _L was speaking even more quietly now and Light gave up on listening. Instead he sat on the floor outside, and after quickly glancing around to check no one was looking he pulled his knees up to his chest and tried out L's sitting position. _Damn this is uncomfortable, how does he do this? Why does he do it? _Light quickly stood up again, embarrassed that he had just done that. He smiled, no one had seen. He was free, for a few minutes at least he was free! He tried jumping on the spot waving his arms in the air, and it didn't matter, no one could see him. He traced invisible words on the wall with his finger. _Light Yagami loves L._ he smiled at the words, he knew they were there even If no one else did.

L snapped the cell phone shut, so, that was that then, he was gay. It was exactly as Mello had described, except of course that Matt returned Mello's affections. L felt slightly embarrassed that Mello had guessed it was about him, no doubt Mello would tell Matt and probably Near too. L found himself dreading his next visit to Wammy's.

He opened the bedroom door quietly and was shocked to find that Light appeared to be doing the Macarena. L smiled at him, the boy was facing away from him now, so he probably had another few repetitions before he noticed he was being watched, L silently slipped his cell out of his pocket again and flipped it open, he held it up and pressed record, watching Light dancing on screen, listening to him mumbling what he knew of the words under his breath.

"They all want me, they can't have me, mumble-mumble dance beside me…….L?!" Light turned bright red as turned to face the detective, he stopped dancing immediately, realising it was too late, L had been filming him.

L was laughing so much he had to sit down, "Light-Kun, that expression is brilliant." L pressed play on his phone and before he knew it Light had pounced on him,  
"Delete it, please delete it!" he begged,  
"No, I don't think I will Light-Kun, you dance well." L watched as the recorded Light moved his hips gracefully.  
"Please L, I think I'm going to die of humiliation" Light could feel his cheeks burning still.  
"Then you should learn not to dance in corridors Light-Kun." L smiled at the teen, wondering why on earth he had been dancing in the first place.  
"I was just enjoying being alone for the first time in days L. It's not my fault if being chained to you is making me go a bit crazy." Light was sure he had now killed any remote chance he had of getting anywhere with the detective. L clearly thought he had lost his mind.  
"I'm sorry Light-Kun, I didn't realise you liked to dance when you were alone, you know you could do so anyway. I wouldn't mind." L laughed at the teen's embarrassment. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone"

_Did L seriously just wink at me? Now I am confused!_ Light sat back against wall beside L. "What was that about anyway?" he asked motioning to their bedroom to indicate the phone call.  
"Nothing" L blushed, how much had Light heard?  
"oh, I thought I heard you mention Kira that's all." Light wondered why L was embarrassed, what had the conversation been about?  
"I might have mentioned it in passing, it wasn't anything important really." L absent minded-ly pressed play again and Light pushed him over, trying to wrestle the phone from him.

"Yagami-Kun! Get off of him right now!" Watari yelled at the teen as he came around the corner, and then in a softer tone "L are you ok?" _Fuck, I can see why this would look bad. _Light thought as he climbed of off the detective and helped him to his feet.  
"Yes, I'm fine Watari; Light was only trying to get my cell phone." L told him, wondering why he was so angry with Light-Kun.  
"L, I don't like the influence this boy seems to be having on you." Watari continued "Kira or not, Light Yagami is clearly not a suitable person for you to be alone with. You shouldn't trust him." _What?! What the hell have I done to you?! _Light thought, _What influence?_  
"I disagree," L said angrily "Light-Kun is my only friend, of course I should trust him. _Wow, L is standing up for me!_ Light grinned mischievously at Watari, and placed his unchained arm over L's shoulders.  
"Thank you L." he said, simply watching as Watari grew visibly angrier.  
"L, I think you and Light-Kun should have separate rooms, or at the very least separate beds." _Oh! So that's his problem, he thinks I'm trying to get into L's pants? Well I suppose he's not far off, but it's not like that. I would never take advantage of him._  
"No" L replied, still sounding angry, despite how nice it felt to have Lights arm around him. "that would be impractical as we are chained together. Now if you would allow us, I think we should get back to work." He glared at Watari. _Sometimes he is just too irritating and just what is his problem with Light-Kun?!_

***********************************************************************************

The rest of the day passed slowly for Light, every time L looked at him he would start humming the Macarena and Light would find himself turning bright red again, L was clearly enjoying this. Light tried to pass the time by thinking of ways to get L back. But he didn't even know how to go about embarrassing the detective, it's not like he could make L do anything, or was it?

***********************************************************************************

They sat in their room that evening, the two of them still working into the night.  
"L?" Light began, pulling out his cell phone, "you wouldn't mind doing the Macarena would you?"  
L looked up at him, "why exactly would I do that?" he asked suspiciously  
"Because I happen to have a huge pack of strawberry laces here and if you don't then I will tie you up with them and eat the rest of them in front of you." Light said matter-of-fact-ly  
"Really?" L eyed the teen nervously; waiting for the appearance the strawberry laces, there was no way Light was going to make him do anything.

Light pulled a large packet out of a bag beneath his chair. "I had Matsuda go and get them a few hours ago." He looked up to smile at the detective but before he could take in that the detective was no longer in his chair, Light felt himself bound against his own, L was behind him and had wrapped the chain around Lights chair, securing him into it. _Damn you L! How are you so fast?!_

L reached around the younger man and pulled the bag of sweets from his hands, "It would appear that you are the one who is tied up," he whispered into Lights ear from behind "and I am the one eating the sweets" L leant over the top of the chair looking down as Light gazed up at him "Light-Kun, don't be embarrassed about the dancing, I'm not going to tell anyone." He smiled sweetly "Especially if you continue providing me with candy." He stuck his tongue out at the teenager and untied him, before scrambling across the room and hiding behind the bed.

Light chased after him and after several more wrestling matches over the strawberry laces and some unsuccessful attempts to tie each other up with them, Light finally fell asleep and L stayed up watching him, whilst he ate the few remaining laces. It had been an interesting day for him, a lot more fun than he had had in a long time.


	6. 27th July 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 6 - 27th July 2004

When Light woke up he was surprised to find that he was alone, L was not in bed with him. "L?" he called out, he sat up and raised his arm, following the chain in order to find the detective. "L?" he called again, peering under the bed. The dark haired man was lying there eyes wide open, apparently not breathing. "L?" Light called frantically "L? are you ok?"  
"BOO!!" L shouted as he turned his head towards Light, who had jumped about a foot backwards.  
"Fuck L! If you ever do that to me again, I swear I really will kill you!" he growled at L as he remembered how to breathe.  
"It was just a joke" L laughed, "I think I like your shocked face, it wasn't as funny as yesterday though."  
"L? How long exactly have you been lying there like that waiting for me to get up?" Light asked, annoyed now.  
"Um, a few hours I guess." L admitted

***********************************************************************************

L sat at his computer, he was thinking about yesterday, he and Light had been having so much fun together last night but today it seemed that the rational side of L's brain was punishing him, Light probably was Kira after all, and L was supposed to be proving that, supposed to be catching Kira. He quickly minimised the game of solitaire he had been playing as Watari walked past, he was pretty much just going to have to pretend to be investigating now, he did not want to catch Kira any more, not when he was so in love with the main suspect. Even if he just focused on catching this Kira, there was always a chance that they would uncover some sort of proof that Light was the original, and L didn't think he could face that.

"Ryuzaki-San?" L looked up as Misa called him, _What does she want?_ "Ryuzaki-San, why do you want to be chained to my Light-Kun all the time?" she asked  
"I have already explained that Misa-San, it is not my fault if you are unable to remember." He responded, dropping his eyes back to the card game.  
"No Ryuzaki, I remember, I just don't think it makes sense. I think you are jealous" _she knows? Damn it she knows, how? What am I going to do?_ The detective panicked.  
"Jealous?" he repeated, deciding that playing dumb was probably best.  
"Yes Ryuzaki-San, jealous. You can't stand the fact that I like Light-Kun better than you."  
"WHAT?!" L looked up at her in shock. "You think I want **you** to like me? "  
"I know you do," Misa spat at him, and L noticed that the whole room was watching them now, he glanced at Light beside him, but the teen was just glaring at Misa._ I guess he doesn't believe her then, surely if he did he would be glaring at me like that._  
"You don't know anything," L shouted, standing up and walking towards her "you don't know anything about me and you don't know anything about…..well anything really. I don't know how you have deluded yourself into thinking I would be interested in you, but you are very very mistaken," he stopped about a metre away from her "you're not even that pretty really." He finished and turned away, heading back to his computer screen. Not bothering to watch as Misa ran over to her boyfriend for comfort.

Light stared as L sat down, _Wow, that was intense. I guess he really doesn't like her._ Light looked up from his chair as Misa came crying over to him, _Damn it L, it was all true but now I have to deal with her._  
"Liiiiggghttt," she moaned at him, "why don't you hit him? You're supposed to defend your lover."  
"Why would I hit him Misa? You are the one who started it." He snapped at her, _stupid girl _"look Misa, its probably best if you go to your room now, we need to get on with our work."

L watched as Misa left the room, still crying. _How could she possibly think I was jealous because I wanted her! She is just way too dumb, even if I did think she was attractive I wouldn't go anywhere near her._

"Thanks L" Light mumbled sarcastically, "now she's going to be even more whiny all day."  
"Sorry Light-Kun, I guess I was a bit mean but I didn't want her to think I liked her, and I didn't want you to think I liked her, you are my friend Light-Kun."  
"L, I wouldn't have believed you were interested in Misa in a million years, it's obvious she annoys you." Light smiled at him. And L knew that the smile meant he was forgiven.

A few minutes later Watari and Soichiro Yagami re- entered the room, having left shortly after Misa, they walked over to where L and Light sat.  
"L, Light, We have told Misa-San that the two of you will take her out to dinner this evening in order to apologise for your unpleasant behaviour." Watari told them curtly "L, I know you are inexperienced in social situations but the things you said to Misa-San were not acceptable."  
"As for you Light," his father joined in, "that is no way to treat your girlfriend, you will take her out this evening and you will be nice to her." He ordered.

***********************************************************************************

L walked slightly behind the couple as they headed towards the restaurant Misa had chosen, Light was holding her hand the same way he had held L's two days ago. L looked firmly at the pavement, trying not to let himself get upset about it, _Light is straight_ he told himself _forget it! _

Light felt ridiculous, but he knew his parents would be angry if he broke up with Misa, so he would just have to keep pretending. _At least L is with us, so I don't have to be alone with her._ he glanced over his shoulder to see L glaring at the floor. Obviously this was uncomfortable for him.  
"Misa?" he asked politely, "could you maybe hold hands with Ryuzaki too? I think he is feeling a little bit left out."  
"Good" Misa replied angrily "you hold his hand then, why should I? He was horrible to me earlier"  
"Fine" Light agreed with her _yes! Plan accomplished! Misa is so predictable!_ He dropped his pace so that L caught up with them and held his free hand out to the detective who took it nervously feeling the same jolt of electricity as last time.

Misa was clearly shocked by Light's behaviour, and for a moment L thought she was going to complain, but instead she just threw him a dirty look and turned away. _Ha! Now we are even bitch! _L sneered at Misa in his head, wondering when his thoughts had become quite so hostile. He tried to imagine that she wasn't there, that he was simply walking down the street holding Lights hand, but it was impossible to imagine her out when she wouldn't shut up.

"Table for....three?" the waiter asked in a polite but disapproving manner as he glared at L and Light, silently communicating that this was not that kind of restaurant and that they would have to behave themselves if they wanted to be served. Reluctantly Light let go of L's hand letting Misa's drop in the same moment. He hung back slightly, allowing both Misa and L to follow the waiter to their table ahead of him. The waiter led them to a private booth in a deserted area of the restaurant and Misa excitedly slid along the cushioned bench, L clambered across the bench opposite and Light slid in beside him.

***********************************************************************************

It had only been half an hour since they had arrived but already L was ready to punch the girl, _How can she be so annoying without even noticing?_ He had finished his Knickerbocker Glory a while ago and had been edging his foot closer to Light's ever since, just wanting to touch the boy again.  
"Ryuzaki-San" L looked up surprised that Misa was talking to him,  
"Yes Misa-San?" he asked cautiously, "did you want to ask me something?"  
"Not really, I know you apologised already but I wanted to say that I understand now" she Smiled at him sweetly, much too sweetly.  
"What exactly do you understand now?" he asked, wondering about the triumphant look on her face.  
"I know why you don't fancy me." she smiled at him "its because you like men isn't it?"  
L froze, completely; his mind simply wouldn't process this, and for the longest time he simply stared at her. It was only Light's intervention that restarted his brain,  
"Misa!" Light snapped at the girl, "You just can't say things like that to people"  
L was still staring at the girl, _how the hell does she know? __**I**__ only worked it out yesterday!_ He finally found his voice. "I think you might be mistaken Misa-San"  
"No." she replied, sounding completely certain. "Have you ever had a girlfriend?" she asked aggressively.  
"Erm, no" L admitted, "but I haven't had a boyfriend either." he told her.  
"What?" she spat in disbelief, "haven't you ever kissed anyone?"  
"Misa! That is enough" Light erupted "I don't ever want to hear you talk to Ryuzaki like that again!" he yelled at her, causing their fellow diners to look round I surprise.  
"its OK Light-Kun," L tried to calm the teen, pleased that he had tried to defend him but embarrassed at their audience "and no Misa, I haven't" he barked at her.  
"lets go," Light motioned to both of them to follow as he picked his way between the staring diners towards the exit. _Really?_ Light thought, _he's never even kissed anyone? I thought as much but I didn't expect him to admit it._

"Misa, apologise to Ryuzaki right now." Light hissed at his girlfriend as they left the restaurant.  
"Sorry Ryuzaki-San" she said aggressively.  
"Don't worry Misa-san, it's not your fault you're an idiot" L retorted, honestly not caring any more,  
"Misa Misa is not an idiot" she rounded on him, "you are the idiot if you think you can get away with this!" she grabbed the chain connecting him to Light, "you can't stay like this forever, you have to give him back to me one day" she yelled at him.  
"Misa, "Light intervened. "Please stop Shouting at Ryuzaki, I think we should go back to the hotel now."  
"Fine," she growled, "but he started it."

***********************************************************************************

They walked back in silence and it was only a when their hotel came into view that Misa spoke again,  
"Ryuzaki-San," she looked up at him apologetically, "please don't mention this to Mr Yagami. I want Light's farther to like me."  
"Fine," L replied, knowing that he would only have sided with Misa anyway, _and really I would prefer keep the whole thing quiet from Watari, he's already been acting strangely lately._ "lets just pretend nothing happened OK Misa?" he suggested.  
"ok." She replied _you aren't sorry at all_ L's mind screamed at her. _How on earth do people think you're a good actress?_


	7. 28th July 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 7 - 28th July 2004

L got up angrily, _who the hell is knocking on the door this early?_ he glanced at the display on his alarm clock, 3:00AM, he marched over to the door in only his pyjama bottoms, "Who's there?" he whispered not wanting to wake Light. And not really able to reach much further without pulling the teen out of bed.  
"L, its me, open the door" Watari's voice was instantly recognisable. L unlocked the door with his toes and kicked it open. "What do you want Watari, I could have been asleep"  
"But you weren't" the older man replied, walking purposefully into the room, "we need to talk L."  
"Why? What's wrong?" L tried to think of something important enough for Watari to come knocking his door down in the middle of the night.  
"Him," L's visitor hissed, turning to glare angrily at the sleeping boy.  
"Light-Kun?" L asked, was Watari finally going to explain his dislike for the boy?  
"L, I know you like Light-Kun, and he's your first real friend, but I need to know that it won't turn into anything…." He paused, apparently searching for the right word. "Anything more" he finished.  
"More" L repeated, First Misa and now Watari? _How does everybody seem to be reading my mind?_  
"I really don't think that is likely to happen." L admitted, slightly embarrassed.  
"Well, good, but don't feel you have to everything he wants you too, just because you like him, I don't trust him." Watari told L firmly, turning to Leave "I've seen the way he looks at you L, it's not right" he said, closing the door behind him.

_Light looks at me 'not right'? What does that mean?_ L re-locked the door, again, using only hs toes and climbed back into bed beside the teenager, _does Watari mean Light doesn't really like me? He looks at me wrong? As in bad? Like he hates me? _L looked at Lights sleeping face, refusing to believe that Light had been Lying to him, "We're friends aren't we?" he whispered, knowing that Light wouldn't hear, "you do like me, don't you?"

"L?" Light asked cautiously, wondering why the detective was so subdued today, "L, are you upset about something?" _Is he still upset because of what happened at the restaurant last night? _"is it because of Misa?" he asked gently as they climbed into their separate shower cubicles.

_See L,_ his mind told him _nothing to worry about, he cares, and he obviously doesn't hate you. _L let the warm water run through his hair, "no, not really" he answered Lights question.  
"is it my fault?" Light sounded worried now, and L wasn't sure how to reply.

"L, if I've done something to upset you, I'm really sorry." Light called, wondering why the detective didn't answer him, "L?" he called again before turning his shower off and pulling himself up to look over the green plastic wall dividing them. "L? Are you crying?" he asked, seeing the dark haired man sitting on the cubicle floor with his back to him.

L looked up suddenly "Light-Kun?! What are you doing? Get down!" he shouted, grateful now that he was sitting on the floor and Light probably couldn't see anything form up there.

"I was worried about you L, you're crying, what's wrong?" Light called, dropping down from the wall and grabbing his towel.

L sobbed loudly, his mind screaming at him to stop _why are you crying stupid, he obviously cares about you! _"I'm fine" L called out, knowing he didn't sound it. He glanced at the door just in time to see Light pull it open and reach in to turn the water off. "Light-Kun!" L shouted again as the teen handed him a towel. L took it cautiously, realising that Light was looking determinedly at the ceiling tiles, obviously trying to give him some privacy. L burst into tears again as he wrapped the towel around is waist,  
"I, I'm, Decent." he sobbed, and was surprised when Light climbed into his cubicle with him, wrapping his arms around him,  
"L, please tell me, is it my fault you're upset?" He asked, loosening his grip on the detective and running one hand through his hair comfortingly. "I don't want to upset you."  
"No," L replied instantly, his breathing still unsteady despite the tears having stopped. " It's not your fault Light-Kun, I think I'm just stressed that's all."  
"Because of the Kira case?" Light guessed. "don't worry about that, we will find him, L, I know we will."

The boys sat on the edge of their bed, Light still holding the quietly sobbing L, he knew this wasn't really normal behaviour for friends, but L didn't seem to mind Lights arms around him, and there was no way that Light cold have just left the detective to cry.  
"L, please tell me what's wrong. I can tell its not just Kira, you were fine when I fell asleep last night and when I woke up you were upset, did something happen in the night?"

***********************************************************************************

"L, I think you may have misunderstood Watari this morning." Light said when the detective had finished explaining. He hadn't mentioned the 'anything more' bit, but he had explained to Light about Watari not trusting him, and saying that Light looked at him funny.  
"Really?" _I'm wrong?_ L didn't see how he could have misunderstood.  
"Yes, I think so, what exactly did he say about me again?" Light asked, just to be sure.  
"He said 'don't feel you have to everything he wants you too, just because you like him I don't trust him' and when he left he said 'I've seen the way he looks at you L, it's not right' What else could that mean?"  
"Oh, I think I have an idea what that means." Light said angrily, "Come on. I am going to talk to him"  
"Don't Light, he'll be mad that I told you" L pleaded,  
"No L, I will not let this slide......... it's not right." He said, repeating Watari's words.

Light marched down the corridor towards the room Watari was staying in, L running to keep up. Neither of them had bothered to get dressed yet and L felt slightly self conscious wandering around the hotel in only a towel.

"OPEN THIS DOOR!" Light yelled, banging on it so hard that one or two of the doors either side opened for the inhabitants to investigate. "Watari-San. If you don't open this door right now I will say what I came to say right here in the corridor."

The door opened silently and the two boys slipped inside. "What did you come to say then Yagami-Kun? Have you made him tell you what I said already?" Watari glanced angrily in L's direction.  
"I haven't **made** him do anything except come with me now. How could you say those things to him? Do you know what he thought you meant?" Light shouted at the man, "He assumed that you meant I didn't like him, that I secretly hated him or something!" Light lowered his voice "but that's not what you meant at all is it, quite the opposite in fact."  
"Quite right Yagami-Kun, that wasn't what I meant at all. You have done an excellent job of convincing him of your innocent intentions."

L moved forwards now, "Can both of you please stop talking about me like I'm not here? And what do you mean Light's innocent intentions?"

"Sorry L," Light turned to him, "I should explain, Watari-San is under the impression that I, to use Misa's terminology, 'fancy you'. He believes that I am exploiting your friendship in attempt to seduce you."

"What?" _so that's what he meant this morning, he hadn't guessed about me at all! _"Watari is his true? Do you really think that Light wants to me more than just friends with me?" L asked, wondering if there was any chance that watari was right.  
"yes L, I do. I think you may be too close to the situation to fully realise what he is doing to you" Watari said kindly.  
"whatever." Light mumbled _when have I ever done anything bad to him? I Love him for fuck' sake, why would I hurt him?_  
L considered telling Watari that nothing would make him happier than for Light to love him, but something about the way he was glaring at Light told him that his farther figure probably wouldn't be very supportive.  
"Watari, I think you should mind your own business, Light-Kun is my friend, and that is all." He ordered the man, "and I would like you to be nice to him in future." L turned to leave, taking Light's hand in his as he went, just to make it clear that he was going to do what he wanted, and Watari was not to interfere.

Light followed L nervously, surprised that he had held his hand, in a way choosing him over his mentor. _Is he just being childish? Or does he actually like holding hand with me? _L only let go when they reached their hotel room, muttering something about a wasted morning and no breakfast._ I see what's going on, _Light smiled at the realisation _L's embarrassed, he feels stupid for crying._

"L, calm down." he told the cute detective. "Lets just chill for a bit ok? You won't be any good at catching Kira like this." Light lay back on their bed, and soon enough L followed his lead,  
"I'm sorry for being so ridiculous his morning, and I'm sorry Watari was so horrible to you." L spoke softly as he rolled to face Light,  
"Don't apologise L. I probably would have reacted the same way if my dad told me you didn't like me, or that you were trying to take advantage of me." Light replied reaching out to take L's hand again, "you know I care about you don't you? And I would never to anything to hurt you, you're the best friend I've ever had L."

"I would say the same," L replied thoughtfully, _even though I would mean that I care for you in a different way_ "but you're the only friend I've ever had, so I suppose you're also the worst." L smiled as Light stuck his tongue out at him. "You know what, I think you're right, I'm definitely not in the right frame of mind for catching Kira, do you think the others can manage without us for one day?" he asked quickly, sitting up.  
"I guess so" Light said, sitting up too. "why? What are you planning?"  
"I just feel like going out for a bit, there's a nice café near here, we could hang out there for a while."

***********************************************************************************

As Light stepped into the small café L had taken him to, A friendly waiter greeted them enthusiastically,  
"Ryuzaki-San, welcome back!" glancing at the handcuffs he smiled slightly "It's nice to see you again, I see you have brought a friend along this time." He noted, apparently unfazed by the handcuffs or even the fact that they were holding hands again, _because_ Light thought _it is more convenient than just pulling each other around by the chain._ He smiled at the reason L had put forward for wanting to hold his hand again, he did kind of have a point, and Light wasn't about to argue with it.

L led him silently through the café to what was apparently his usual table in the corner. "So, do you like this place Light-Kun?" he asked happily, as if there was no doubt in his mind that this was some sort of paradise.  
"it seems nice enough," Light replied, almost certain that he would have hated this place if he had been here with anyone but L.

L looked nervously at Light as he sat at the table, waiting to see if Light would sit next to him or opposite. _I wonder if Watari is right about him_ he thought hopefully. _Light is always nice to me and he seems to like spending time with me, I think, but on the other hand he has a girlfriend, why would he put up with a girl like Misa if he wasn't interested in her? or he could be bisexual I suppose, then at least I would have a chance._ He watched as Light took the seat opposite him. _No, he is just a friend, I am 97% sure of that. I guess I should just be happy to have that much._

Light sat down opposite the detective, determined to back off, he could kind of see what Watari meant now that he thought about it, perhaps he was being a bit too physical in his friendship with the detective. He smiled as L pulled the menu out of its stand on the table and flicked straight to the back, _guess he knows where the deserts are._ Light pulled out the other menu and did the same, maybe it was just because he was so obsessed with the sweet-toothed detective but he didn't really feel like eating anything other than a desert. He looked up from the menu to see L's eyes light up as he beamed happily at the second page from the back, Light checked it in his own menu.

"L, I mean Ryuzaki, you couldn't possibly eat all of that." he told the detective, who was apparently about to order a 'chocolate-strawberry extravaganza.'  
"Layers of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice-cream, covered in strawberry sauce and topped with fresh strawberries and chunks of milk chocolate - the perfect dessert for two to share" L quoted at him hopefully, having memorised the entire desserts section already. Light sighed, _so much for keeping my distance._  
"Ok, we can get one to share." Light gave in, hoping he might be able to salvage some of the vanilla, before it became too saturated with sauce, the whole thing sounded a bit over the top to him.  
"Great, im going to get a strawberry milkshake too, what do you want to drink Light-Kun?"  
"I'll have a coke I think," _How can he cope with so much strawberry! _

As soon as the waiter had left, L leant across the table towards Light,  
"Light-Kun?" he began nervously, _I cant believe I'm doing this, but what if Watari was right, what if he loves me too, but doesn't know how I feel _"Light, I, I just wanted to tell you that I...." L paused again, "....I think I love you Light-Kun." he whispered, turning bright red.  
Light looked up suddenly "Sorry L, did you say something?" he asked pulling the small headphones out of his ears, "I was just finding this song that reminds me of you. Why are you so red by the way?"  
_What! He didn't even hear me?! How did I not notice he was listening to music! Stupid L, stupid timing._  
"It's just a bit hot in here that's all," L felt himself turn even redder. "what song did you think I was like? He said quickly, desperate to change the subject.  
"This one, here listen," Light held out one of the headphones, and L smiled slightly at the tiny L printed on it. holding the wire up with his thumb and forefinger He brought the small object to hang loosely by his ear, and waited for Light to press play,

"I am the candyman," the small object sang at him "comin' form bounty land" L smiled, yes he could see why Light would want to play him this song,  
"I love this song Light-Kun, but I didn't have you down as an Aqua fan."  
"They're OK sometimes," Light smiled at the detective as their food and drink arrived.

"what were you saying earlier anyway?" Light asked and L grabbed a spoon and busied himself with the ice-cream piled between them.  
"Oh, it wasn't anything important." L replied, feeling himself turn red again.  
"L, are you ok?" Light reached over the table to feel Ls forehead, the contact causing the detective to blush even more "L you're boiling, you shouldn't be this hot whilst eating ice cream, I think you might have a fever!"  
"I don't think so Light-Kun," L laughed at the teens paranoia, can you take your tie out of our desert now please." L asked, pushing Lights hand away from him.  
"what?! My tie?" Light looked down, to find that L was right, when he had leant across the table his tie had ended up in the strawberry sauce. "damn it." He growled, blaming the tie for L's apparent rejection. He loosened the tie quickly and pulled it over his head, placing it on the table beside him.  
"Come on Light, don't you want any?" L asked holding out a spoon full of the sweet desert. _Does he want to feed me? Again?_ Light looked up at L apprehensively as he held the spoon out for him.  
"I can feed myself you know," Light told the detective, trying to stick to his plan for backing off, _L clearly isn't interested in me in that way and it's not fair to keep confusing things._ He reminded himself as he picked up his own spoon from the table.

_Oh! _L stared at the spoonful that Light had refused; _I guess that was stupid really, of course Light-Kun doesn't want to eat from my spoon, especially if he thinks I'm ill._ L tried to focus on the logical, hygiene based reasons for not sharing spoons in order to avoid getting upset again.

They ate the rest of the ice-cream in relative silence, L was so engrossed in the dessert that he didn't really want to talk, and Light was happy just to watch him, having eaten as much as he could without feeling ill. He sipped his coke thoughtfully as the detective ate the last few strawberries.  
"Done?" he asked as L sat back and finished up his milkshake.  
"Yes, do you want to leave now?" L replied, looking up to catch the waiters attention.  
"Ok," Light glanced at his watch, he hadn't realised how long they had been gone, it was already getting dark outside.

They held hands again as they headed back to the hotel, Light smiled as L skipped along beside him, wearing his discarded tie like a bandanna; he hadn't seen L this high on sugar before, it was rather sweet really.

***********************************************************************************

"where have you two been all day?" Matsuda asked suspiciously as the boys entered the hotel lobby. The suspicious look wasn't really surprising as L was now singing along to 'Lollipop' on Light's MP3 player.  
"We went to a cafe." Light told him, "and I'm afraid Ryuzaki may have had just a little too much sugar." The teen laughed at the singing detective.  
"ok, well, i'm going home now, everyone else has left already, will you be joining us tomorrow?" Matsuda enquired.  
"yes, probably, did you have any luck with the investigation today?"  
"no, we didn't find anything, well goodnight."  
"bye" L grinned at the young Japanese policeman.  
"see you tomorrow." Light added as Matsuda turned to leave.

***********************************************************************************

As light climbed into bed, he smiled at the hyper L, who was still wearing his tie around his head and playing on a hand-held games console.

"You like video games L?" Light asked sleepily,  
"Yeah, sometimes." The detective replied, tapping furiously at the buttons.  
"Night L."  
"Night light." L replied, and then burst out laughing.  
"What's so funny L?" The teen yawned, _is he really just high on sugar?_  
"Night – Light" the detective giggled. It rhymes. "nightlightnightlightnightlight......"  
Light sighed and pulled a pillow over his head, _note to self,_ he thought _do not let L eat that much sugar_

"L?" Light called anxiously as he woke up, the detective was nowhere to be seen, "L? You had better not be hiding under the bed to scare me again!" he called, getting up slowly. Following the chain from his wrist he soon found the dark haired man curled up on the floor, still clutching the small games console. Light smiled, taking the console from the sleeping detective and placing it on the desk. He then turned back to L and slipped his arms around him, carrying him gently to the bed and pulling the duvet over his cold body.

He smiled at the detective's sleeping form, leaning down to place his lips gently on L's forehead. "L, Ryuzaki, I Love you". He spoke softly, blushing slightly. He felt strangely relived to have said it out loud, even if it was only a whisper in the night.

He lay back down beside L, smiling as he watched the detective sleep.


	8. 29th July 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 8 - 29th July 2004

L stretched out as he reluctantly awoke, he didn't usually manage to sleep this often and he was content here, he didn't want to get out of bed, _bed? When did I get into bed?_ he snapped his eyes open looking around him.

"Light-Kun, why are you are staring at me?" The detective asked nervously, "did you put me here?"  
"Yes, you fell asleep on the floor, you looked cold." Light replied, still staring at him.  
"Oh, well, thank you Light-Kun, That was very nice of you." L smiled back, "Could you stop staring at me now though?"  
"Of course, I'm sorry L." Light blushed, looking away. "Do you want to get up now?"  
L glanced sleepily at the digital display on the alarm clock, the red numbers telling him that he had already overslept. "Do we have to Light-Kun? I don't think I am very well, I'm tired."

Light turned back to smile at the detective, realising that he seemed slightly hung over, _not surprising after he was so high on sugar last night. _"I think you are just in need of sugar L, you should know what happens if you eat too much of it." Light sat up and reached across the detective to rummage in his bedside drawer, he knew L kept a supply of sweets in there.

L gratefully snatched up the chocolates Light had found, he was going to have to try not to overdo it on the sugar with Light around, he felt slightly embarrassed as he pulled Light's tie from around his head. "Sorry if I was behaving rather childishly last night Light-Kun." He spoke between chocolates, "I will try not to do it again."  
"Don't worry about it L, I didn't mind, it was actually rather cute." Light stood up, noticing that L had finished eating, and was looking much more awake. "We had better shower quickly today," he suggested, "we already took one day off, and we shouldn't be too late today."

***********************************************************************************

Light ran his fingers angrily through his hair, trying to reason with himself as he washed. _just STOP it Light, STOP IT. _he commanded himself. _he is so far out of your league it's not even funny, just stop it before you go and get yourself hurt. That stunt last night, telling him you loved him, that was stupid, stupid, stupid, STUPID. _Light slammed his fist into one of the tiles in the wall, cracking it and causing his knuckles to bleed.

"FUCK! Fuck, Fuck Fuck!" L heard the teen swearing angrily in the cubicle next door,  
"Light-Kun? Are you ok?" the dark haired man asked, surprised at the sudden outburst.  
"it's nothing L," Light lied quickly, "I just slipped that's all, and I hit my hand on the wall."  
"oh," L responded, disappointed that his friend was blatantly lying to him. _if he had unexpectedly slipped, enough to hurt himself, I would have felt the tug on the chain._ L went back to washing in silence, if Light didn't want to tell him the truth what was the point in asking any more?

As the two young men, stepped out of their shower cubicles, L noticed Light appeared to be hiding something in his unchained hand, he was holding his hand behind him and looked guilty.  
"What are you hiding Light-Kun?" the detective demanded. He was still angry that the teen had lied and upset that Light wished to keep things from him. He grabbed the younger ones arm roughly pulling it towards him. _Blood?_ L stared in surprise, this was the same pattern of cuts as when Light had punched the wall on their second day of being handcuffed, had he done it again?  
"Light-Kun? He questioned apprehensively, "Did you punch the wall again?"  
Light looked away, embarrassed that he had lied, _of course L would work out the truth. He is L, that's part of why you love….._ Light cut that thought off, it wasn't healthy.  
"Yes, I did," he admitted. "Sorry I lied about it L, It's just a bit embarrassing."  
"Why did you do it?" L asked, clearly concerned. "Are you angry? Is it my fault?" L remembered his behaviour yesterday, in the shower and afterwards, he must be annoying Light with his stupid over-sensitiveness.  
"No, L, it's not your fault, it's just me. I lose my temper sometimes; maybe I'm just stressed because of Kira." Light used the same excuse as L had for crying yesterday. "So, let's just get dressed and catch the bastard ok?"  
"If you're sure you're ok." L agreed.

L sat miserably at his computer, pretending to look for information on Kira. He had been playing minesweeper for hours now and was getting rather bored of the game. He looked slightly to the side, where Light was combing through various deaths attributed to Kira, L felt slightly guilty for his reluctance to catch the murderer, but not because of the dead criminals, they had deserved it after all, no, this feeling of guilt was all because of Light, the teen clearly hated being a suspect and it was mostly just L's selfish loneliness that kept him imprisoned.

Light continued opening and closing documents, scrolling through them whilst staring at the monitor, not reading them, but staring at L's reflection in his screen. He knew that the detective wasn't working either, maybe the 'sugar low' was affecting his concentration, although he had been winning at minesweeper for the past few hours, so he can't have been too badly affected.

"L?" Light called the detective, making his voice loud enough that the others would hear him, yet using his tone to suggest that he was trying to speak quietly, "are you feeling ok?"  
L smiled, he knew Light was trying to give him an escape, "no, not really," he replied in the same manner, allowing the task force to 'overhear' their 'whispered' conversation. "I think maybe I should go back to bed."

"Are you ok L?" several members of the task force asked in unison, confessing that they had overheard.  
"No, I think I may be ill," the detective informed them all, overacting it just a little. Light tried not to grin as the dark haired man pulled a face which seemed to suggest he had only weeks, maybe months to live.

***********************************************************************************

L climbed slowly back into bed, surprised when light climbed in beside him, "Light-Kun? Are you tired too?"  
"Not really L, but I may as well sleep now, then maybe I can keep you company tonight" Light told the older man.  
"That's very nice of you Light, but I don't mind staying up by myself." L replied, "I'm used to it by now."  
"Let's not argue about it," Light insisted "Sleep well."  
"kay," the detective replied, already falling asleep.

***********************************************************************************

L woke up a few hours later, he was sure Light had been staring at him again, as the boy had turned away quickly as soon he had opened his eyes. _maybe he does like me_ he thought hopefully, despite knowing it was very unlikely.

"Light-Kun? Are you sure you don't want to sleep tonight?" L asked excitedly, "I know this hotel has a swimming pool, would you like to go swimming?"  
"that sounds wonderful L," Light agreed, his mind already conjuring up various images of L in the pool, _wonder if they have a Jacuzzi or a hot tub?_

L watched curiously as Light appeared to be lost in some sort of day dream, "are we going then Light-Kun?" the detective pressed.  
"Oh, yes, of course." Light replied, blushing slightly as he stood up and the pair grabbed their swimming stuff and headed out through the hotel, following the signs towards the empty swimming pool.

***********************************************************************************

"Hey L," Light began "bet you can't dive off of that." The teen pointed to the highest diving board.  
"Of course I could Light-Kun, but the chain might be problematic." L replied splashing Light, noticing the face the teen pulled as his perfect hair was messed up.  
"Chicken" Light taunted him playfully.  
"Fine!" L replied dragging the teen through the water towards the diving board. _oh fuck._ Light suddenly realised that he could be seriously hurt if L dragged him off of the board, they would have to dive in unison, or one would be pulling the other, _but I can't chicken out now, or he wins_ Light watched as L climbed out of the pool _STOP STARING AT HIS ARSE!_ his mind shouted at him to little effect. He climbed out of the pool behind the detective and followed him as he climbed the ladder, discreetly stealing the odd upwards glance.

As L waited for Light at the top of the diving board, he peered nervously over the edge seeing headlines flash before his eyes _WORLDS GREATEST DETECTIVE DEAD! - L KILLED IN FREAK DIVING ACCIDENT! – HANDCUFFED MEN FOUND DEAD IN HOTEL POOL. _

"L, are you ok?" Light wondered if L was scared of heights, he was staring over the edge of the board, looking like he was about to pass out. "L?" he repeated anxiously.  
"I don't really like heights Light-Kun, I don't mind planes or helicopters but I don't really like the idea of jumping off of this thing." L admitted, staring at his feet now.  
"Oh, I didn't know, I'm sorry L, you don't have to, we can go back down the ladder." Light suggested holding his hand out to the older man.  
"No!" L insisted, I can't give up now. _I won't lose to you Light-Kun._ the competitive edge to L's character won out against the more sensible side.  
"Ok, well we could get hurt if we don't jump together" Light suggested moving forward and wrapping his arms around the detective,  
"huh? You want to jump like this?" L looked unsure, he didn't really think this much physical contact with the boy was right, _are we really just friends?_  
"I don't want you to get hurt L, It's my fault you think you have to do this, and I don't want you to be scared." Light reached out and brushed the detective's dark wet hair from his face "Please L?" he asked, gazing into the detectives dark eyes.  
"ok, I guess." L agreed nervously.

_do it! Kiss him now! _Light's mind screamed at him, and he almost did, he moved in slightly, desperate to taste the detective's sugary lips, but he found that he couldn't do it, not here, not whilst L was clinging to him in fear, maybe after this, but not now.  
"Ready?" he asked as he edged them closer to the edge of the diving board, and taking the small indistinct noise from the dark haired man as affirmation he launched them over the edge wrapping his arms even more tightly around the detective.

_Oh Fuck, oh Fuck! _L repeated in his mind as they began to fall through the air, he looked wildly around them for the length of chain that would no doubt land painfully on top of them, knocking them both unconscious and causing them to drown at the bottom of the pool. L watched the blue of the pool grow as it rose to meet them, to consume them. He shut his eyes tightly certain that this was to be the end. "Bye Light-Kun, love you." He tried to tell the teen, seeing as this was the last chance he would get, but all he did was mouth the words, his voice stuck somewhere in his throat.

Light braced himself for impact with the water, knowing that this was not going to be a nice landing, but that hopefully he would take the brunt of it, he knew he would have to flip round as soon as the were in the water, so that the falling chain wouldn't hit L, _why the fuck did I think this was a good idea?!_ he asked himself angrily.

L heard the crash, or the splash, whatever it was it was loud, he felt the warm water of the pool as it rose around him and Light let go, moving away from him, _am I drowning? Why is he leaving me?_ L opened his eyes watching from below the water as the dark shape grew above the surface, _the chain? Light is trying to protect me! _L struggled against the terror that threatened to paralyse him, he fought to reach the light haired teenager making what seemed like little or no progress, As he tried desperately to call out the water flooded his mouth instantly and colour faded from the world, becoming dull and hazy until all was black.


	9. 30th July 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 9 - 30th July 2004

"L, L!" Light's pained voice echoed around the empty swimming pool, _Don't Die, Please L,_ "I LOVE YOU! Please wake up!" He hurried through the motions _A-B-C, 'Airways', clear, I think. Right, next is 'Breathing' _Light lowered his head to L's and was relieved to feel the detective's shallow breath on his cheek; he quickly checked L's pulse and, slipping his arms around the detective, he carried him through the quiet of the sleeping hotel, knowing where he had to take him, however much he personally didn't want to.

Light kicked heavily against the door, "WATARI! OPEN UP, PLEASE" he yelled desperately through the wood, continuing to kick at the door until he heard movement on the other side and the door opened a crack.  
"Yagami-Kun!" began Watari sternly, "What is the meaning of…….." the elderly man didn't finish his sentence, having caught sight of the clearly unconscious detective in Light's arms, "What have you done to him?!" Watari yanked the door open in alarm and snatched the dark haired man from Light, carrying him to the bed, Light stumbled behind as Watari pulled the chain aggressively.  
"I've checked his breathing and his circulation; I think he will be OK when he wakes up?" Light spoke his thoughts on the matter as a question, desperate for some sort of confirmation that the love of his life really was going to be alright.  
"SIT" The old man barked at the teenager and Light immediately dropped into the chair beside the bed where L lay, staring in wide eyed horror as the seemingly harmless man locked the door and turned on him with a look of pure rage. "EXPLAIN!" he bellowed, as his eyes flicked towards the unconscious and half naked man on the bed.  
"We went swimming." Light stated plainly, his defiant nature returning to him now that he had gotten over the shock of Watari's sudden change in temperament and he was fairly certain L was going to be fine. "L had a shock and failed to surface in time." Light thought that was a pretty basic summary of the situation.  
"A shock?" the elderly figure repeated, advancing threateningly on the teen.  
"We were diving from the boards." Light answered him, standing up again, he was taller than Watari and he returned the threatening glare, as if daring Watari to continue.  
"L is afraid of heights, so it must have been your fault!" the shorter man spat at him. "I knew you were going to hurt him."  
"I KNOW IT WAS MY FAULT!" Light yelled at L's mentor now, "HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW HE DIDN'T LIKE HEIGHTS? DO YOU THINK I WOULD HAVE SUGGESTED IT IF I HAD KNOWN? I **LOVE** HIM, WHY THE FUCK WOULD I **TRY** TO DO THIS TO HIM?" Light motioned towards the still unconscious detective "I ONLY BROUGHT HIM HERE BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WOULD KNOW IF HE WAS OK, BUT YOU HAVEN'T EVEN BOTHERED TO CHECK, ALL YOU CAN DO IS YELL AT ME" Light ran at the elderly figure aiming a fast punch into his face, flooring him instantly. He picked L up again, and ran from the room, not even bothering to look back at the old man he had just knocked out.

***********************************************************************************

L took a deep breath, then made a mental note not to do it again, his throat burned, and he felt weak, opening his eyes slowly he saw that he was in their bedroom, he tried to remember what had happened, he had been swimming with Light-Kun, and then……_Oh!_ he remembered everything now, remembered being unable to breathe, his airways closing up, Light trying to protect him from the metal chain falling above them. _So is Light-Kun dead?_ L felt his insides crumble as he considered that, _No! he can't be._ L raised his arm slowly, the handcuff was still there, so Light must be somewhere nearby. "Light-Kun?" he called out nervously, grimacing as his voice came out all wrong, raspy and unfamiliar.

"L?!" the teen came into view suddenly. "L, how do you feel? I'm so sorry I made you do that - I can't believe how stupid I am."  
"Light-Kun, did you save me?" L asked, his hoarse voice full of admiration.  
"Not really, seeing as you wouldn't have needed saving if I hadn't been such an idiot!"  
"It wasn't your fault Light-Kun, I was just as stupid," he paused, blushing slightly "and thank you for saving my life." _What?!_ Light thought _I didn't save it! I RISKED it! Why is he grateful! He should be angry, I wish he __**was**__ angry with me, I don't deserve this. I don't deserve him!_

"Can I get you anything L? Something soothing for your throat, ice-cream perhaps?" Light suggested, determined to take care of the dark haired man as best he could.  
"Ice-cream? Yes that would be nice, thank you Light-Kun."

***********************************************************************************

Fortunately Light had left the door unlocked when he had carried the detective to bed, so he didn't need to get up when the ice-cream arrived; instead he asked the young man delivering it to bring it in to them, and then to go away and stop staring at the handcuffs.

"L?" he called softly, "L? wake up, the ice-cream is here." Light brushed L's hair away from his face, stroking it softly as the detective woke up.  
"Hello Light-Kun" he whispered, afraid to speak aloud in his freaky voice again. "Ice cream?" he asked hopefully as Light helped him to sit up against the headboard, "and sugar? I think I need sugar."  
"Anything you want L." Light replied kindly, rummaging in L's bedside drawer for chocolates.  
"Anything?" L questioned, his playful smile lighting up his face, _does he really mean anything I want?_  
"of course L, consider me your slave for the day, or until you get better." _or forever_ Light added in his head, he would do anything for L now, he knew how it felt to imagine losing his friend for good, and the experience had only increased his love for the man, not that he had believed it possible.  
"In that case I would like you to feed me Light-Kun." L whispered, _This is great, I wonder how long I can drag out my recovery for?_  
"Feed you? Sure." Light agreed "do you want the chocolate or the ice-cream first?"  
"Ice cream I think," L watched as light scooped up some of the strawberry flavoured desert onto a spoon and moved it towards him; he opened his mouth to accept the spoonful and swallowed the ice-cream, feeling as it slid down his throat soothingly.

Light stared as L took the spoon into his mouth, yet again fascinated by the unique and provocative ways in which the detective ate, Light looked away discreetly as L released the spoon, he really didn't need to be getting turned on by this, he plunged the spoon back into the dessert and brought it to L's lips again, unable to look away as the detective wrapped his mouth around the ice-cream, melting it instantly, even moaning slightly as he swallowed. _he has to be doing this on purpose! _Light didn't believe anyone could be this hot by accident, _but if he is doing it intentionally, what does that mean? Does he feel the same? I have to know_  
"Chocolate now?" the teenager suggested, needing a break from this most wonderful form of torture.  
"Yes please!" L replied, his voice sounding slightly better already.

Light unwrapped a chocolate carefully and brought it slowly to L's lips, pulling it away playfully as the detective opened his mouth.  
"Hey!" L pouted as Light teased him with the chocolate, his eyes widening in surprise as the teen climbed over him, straddling his legs and pinning him against the headboard with one strong hand on his shoulder. _Light-kun, what are you doing!_ L gazed up at the younger man as Light brought the chocolate back to his mouth, L's lips parted slightly in anticipation.  
"Close your eyes." Light instructed and for some reason the detective found himself obeying, his lips still parted, waiting for the chocolate…..

Light couldn't believe he was actually going to do this, he nervously leant in towards the detective pausing only briefly to feel L's warm breath on his face, he placed his lips lightly on L's. The detective froze in shock, _Is he kissing me?_ he felt Light's lips moving against his own. _he is, Light Yagami is actually kissing me!_ L attempted to imitate the motion of Light's lips with his own, returning the kiss nervously. But no sooner had he got used to the feeling it changed, Light's movements became faster, less gentle, his tongue flicked at L's lips, forcing them apart, forcing his way inside. L froze again. Scared now, this was all too sudden, L silently cursed himself for being fooled, for thinking that this meant Light felt anything for him….

Light pressed his body against the older man's, moving his hand from L's shoulder to run through his dark hair. He was completely lost in the kiss, lost in the taste, in the sensation of feeling L's lips on his, so lost that he didn't notice immediately when L stopped kissing back, he felt L's hand on his shoulder and took it as encouragement, but then, L shoved. Light toppled backwards off of the bed, too surprised at the sudden aggression to react in time.  
"L?" He called nervously from the floor, _did I go too far_  
"Go AWAY." The detective shouted at him, his voice still all wrong. "I hate you"  
"I'm sorry L. I thought…..I thought you liked me" Light sounded hurt now, but L knew the Yagami boy could act, after all he had stated not five minutes ago that he would do anything L asked of him, and L did not remember asking for that.  
"Liked you? I did like you. I thought you were my friend." _past tense_ Light thought miserably _stupid Light! You knew it was stupid to expect anything more than friendship, why the fuck did you have to go and ruin it!_ Light scolded himself mentally.  
"I am your friend L," Light pleaded standing up now and sitting at the foot of the bed, "I will always be your friend, but as I am sure you have guessed, I love you." Lights face turned a bright red as he confessed his feelings for the detective.

"I don't want to hear it." _Stop lying to me Light-Kun, are you Kira? Are you doing this to make me release you? Well if you are then it is pointless, I am L. No one has ever loved me. I do not want your love so you cannot trick me with it. _  
"I'm sorry L." Light apologised, "can we just forget about it? Please? I won't mention it ever again if that's what you want, but please L, you are the best friend I have ever had, please don't hate me. I will be your slave for a week, a month, for as long as we are chained together." Light begged the detective.

L did not really hate Light, he was angry, upset and confused, but he was also very much in love with the younger man, no matter how much he tried to deny it. "Fine" he replied simply, "but you can't ever do that again." _although it did feel nice._ L remembered how Light's lips had felt against his own, _No, it did not feel nice, I cannot think like that, I can't let myself want him anymore. There, it's decided. L does not love Light Yagami. L does not love anyone._ L tried to rid himself of his feelings for the boy, but he had forgotten that this wasn't something that could simply be decided, after all he had never decided to love Light, it had just happened.

"Light-Kun!" he ordered "feed me that damn chocolate now! _and then maybe I will try and like you again._ L thought pointlessly, just to make himself feel less pathetic, despite knowing that he had never really stopped liking or loving the teenager.


	10. 31st July 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 10 - 31st July 2004

Neither of them slept that night, both were highly aware of one another's presence in the bed, despite being as far apart as possible. The atmosphere between the two of them hadn't been this intense or awkward since that very first night. They were facing away from one another, both feeling hurt, both longing for the other to wake them, and tell them that they cared.

L regretted his behaviour, ever since he had pushed the teenager away he had been wishing he hadn't, wishing he had just let the boy kiss him, hold him, love him. it would have been so much better than this, _Anything would be better than this._

L thought back to last night. They had gone to bed early, in hope of ending the day quickly, but that hadn't helped, the awkwardness between them only increased as the lights went out and they climbed into bed. L had pretended to sleep, but he had not. He had felt the bed shaking slightly as Light cried noiselessly into his pillow. It was then that L realised what an idiot he had been, that Light had been telling the truth, Light loved him. As utterly impossible as it seemed to the detective he had to accept that Light Yagami really was in love with him.

He had been thinking about it all night, Light had promised never to mention it again, so there would be no second chance for L to respond the way he should have. Light had become so distant yesterday and L had taken that too mean that even the friendship they had shared had been false, but he knew better now. Light was clearly hurt and it would be down to L to try and, well initiate something, but how? He had no experience in the matter and he was sure if he told Light that he felt the same, after so strongly rejecting him, that Light would assume L had some ulterior motive, just as he had assumed of Light.

Light both longed for and dreaded the morning, he longed to end this pretence, he couldn't sleep and he wanted the distractions that day time would bring him, yet he dreaded having to face L, they had hardly spoken after the argument yesterday, Light had continued to feed the detective as he desired, but he had been careful to maintain his distance, and it broke his heart to do it.

***********************************************************************************

It was around 4:30am when the distraction finally came, the excuse to get up. Both men sat up at once as a heavy knocking began on their door, Light instinctively grabbed L's hand protectively, and L hoped this meant they were past the weirdness of last night, but then Light caught himself and removed his hand from L's.

"Sorry," the teen mumbled without even looking at the detective. "Who's there?" he called out to the source of the noise which had not ceased.

"LET ME IN!" came an easily recognisable bellow from the other side of the door.

"Watari?" L called out in surprise, _come to think of it, what did the task force do yesterday? Does anyone know what had happened in the pool? _

"L?" Came the other voice urgently, "L? Is that really you? You're ok?"

"I'm fine Watari, please calm down." L replied wandering why he was so worried "did you tell him?" he whispered to Light, who appeared to be trying to hide under the duvet.

"um, yes?" Light sounded embarrassed again. L decided to ignore that for the minute as he headed over to the door to let Watari in.

"What happened to your face?" he asked the elderly man, alarmed by the swollen and black eye his mentor seemed to be sporting.

"HIM!" Watari replied viciously, pointing at the mound in the duvet at the foot of the bed.

"Light did this?" L turned to face the lump that was Light Yagami. "Light-Kun?"

The teenager emerged nervously from the bed, his usual confidence having been almost completely obliterated by L's rejection, not that he wasn't impressed with his handiwork; that was some bruising on the old man's face.

"Yes, it's true L. I punched him." Light admitted, refusing to look the detective in the eye, instead he stared at his feet.

L, unsure what to make of this, continued to stare unblinkingly as he turned his head between Light and Watari. Eventually, he spoke, "Why?" he asked simply, in a bored tone, as if he had already decided that he didn't really care why Light had done it.

"I'm sorry." Light said feebly, now examining the pattern on the carpet. "I took you to him whilst you were unconscious and, well, I know you don't want to hear a lot of it, but basically I was angry, he seemed to be more interested in yelling at me than making sure you were ok."

"Liar." Watari spat at the teen, "of course I was worried about L, but it soon became apparent that he was in no immediate danger, except perhaps from you." Watari was angry, but still calm, not at all like the scary version Light had encountered yesterday.

"What do you mean? Danger from Light- Kun?" L demanded

"Well, do you remember what I told you before L? I warned you that it was not only your friendship Light was interested in, well yesterday he admitted it, just before he punched me and knocked me out." Watari continued to glare at Light as he said this.

"I'm sure it's all just a big misunderstanding." L answered. "Light-Kun has apologised and he was only concerned for me. You may go now Watari, are the preparations made for this evening?"

Watari stared at L, momentarily speechless "Yes, all your things are prepared, but L, in light of the situation I would suggest that you wait until the rest of us can accompany you on Monday."

"What situation?" L asked sternly. "No, we will go tonight. I could do with a change of scenery."

Watari glanced suspiciously between Light and L before he turned to leave "As you wish." He replied and closed the door behind him.

"Are you angry?" Light asked, finally looking up to meet L's gaze.

"No." The detective replied, sitting down on the edge of the bed, motioning for Light to join him, "As I said I am sure it is all a misunderstanding." Light froze as L placed an arm around him, _A misunderstanding? What?_ Light wriggled out of L's hug, and stood up again.

"Please, don't do this to me L." He pleaded, sitting on the floor instead.

"Do what?" L replied in confusion.

"Please, it hurts L. just, don't touch me, please." Light begged, "I know you don't want to hear it but I can't keep this up. You can't keep leading me on L. It's not fair."

_Leading him on? Am I? I suppose but, I don't mean to. _"Don't touch you? Ever?" L replied, "but can't we just go back to how we were?"

"No L, we can't." Light replied angrily now. "The way we were at least I had hope, at least there was a chance, now I know there isn't I just couldn't bear it."

_TELL HIM NOW _L's mind insisted. _Tell him you feel the same. _L knew he wouldn't though, he wouldn't know where to begin or what to say. So he simply answered "Ok. I won't." and then added "Do you want to go and have our showers now Light-Kun? This will be our last shower here."

"Ok," The teen replied, part of him mourning the loss of physical contact with the detective, "Where are we going then? A new hotel?"

"No," L replied, "our new headquarters are ready, the two of us will move in tonight, and the task force will join us on Monday"

***********************************************************************************

L turned on the hot water, enjoying the feeling, he still had chlorine in his hair from the pool and it was nice to be away from Light, even if he was a cubicle away. L didn't know what to do, he hadn't realised quite how much he did touch Light until he had started to think about it, he had been aware that they were somewhat more tactile in their relationship than most friends were, but then he didn't know much about friendship. He had messed up already, trying to hold the teenager's hand as they had walked to the showers only for Light to pull away, that had hurt, a lot actually, more than L had expected, it was only a hand after all. He had noticed Light's behaviour as they climbed into the showers, he seemed so sad, he had worn his pyjama shirt last night, which was in itself unusual but what was weirder was that he hadn't taken it off until he was in his shower cubicle, as if he was suddenly worried about L seeing his body. _Did I really crush his confidence that much? He has been awfully quiet ….._

Light's face was already soaked with tears by the time he turned on the shower, his weak defences crumbling the second he was alone. He struggled out of his pyjamas hysterically, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt, unable to see clearly through the tears. Light didn't know what was wrong, he understood that he had been mistaken in thinking that L felt the same, the dark haired man had been all to clear on that point, but what he didn't get was why. Of course it could just be that L was straight, but Light couldn't help seeing all his imperfections as the reason, _I knew I was getting chubby! and I have ugly knees and maybe my legs are a bit too hairy….. _Light thought miserably, pulling at the skin on his toned stomach, his self depreciating and tear filled eyes seeing fat that wasn't there. He raised his hand to his face, examining it. L seemed to like his hands, in fact L quite clearly liked touching him, seeing as he was having a hard time remembering not to….._so maybe it's not my body, not something I can fix by working out or shaving…..he just doesn't like me? Is it because he thinks I'm Kira? _ Light felt his heart leap at the thought, was that all? If he cleared his name then maybe L would like him, he had started to kiss back so maybe …………._no you idiot! Don't get your hopes up again! He doesn't like you! It's not your body, its not that you might be Kira, it's just you! Why would he like you anyway? He could probably have anyone he wanted, he's the cleverest man in the world, and what are you? Some dumb teenager who had a couple of lucky guesses? You're not smart really; if you were you wouldn't have kissed him! _Light's mind continued with the torrent of self abuse and he continued sobbing miserably as the warm water ran over his body.

L was not enjoying the shower anymore. He could hear Light, talking to himself on the other side of the wall. The rushing water drowned a lot of it out and L was sure Light didn't realise he was speaking aloud; certainly he wouldn't want L to hear this.

"Stupid………so out………League…….I am………..ugly Idiot!" L picked out the odd word through the sound of the water and Light's miserable sobs. _He is blaming himself? He thinks he is ugly? What have I done?! _L considered calling out, telling Light the truth, but he knew Light would only feel worse if he knew L could hear this. That was his excuse anyway, in truth he was just too scared, admitting that he had feelings would be a big thing for him; it could potentially be committing professional and perhaps even personal suicide if Light did turn out to be Kira……

***********************************************************************************

L noticed Soichiro look up as the two of them entered the hotel room the task force were working in, "Hello everyone" the detective greeted them, wondering what they would make of his voice, which was still rough from almost drowning.

"Are you feeling better now L?" Matsuda asked from where he was sitting in the corner, apparently reading Misa's latest interview in _Eighteen_ magazine.

L was slightly confused by the question; neither Light nor Watari had told the task force what had happened so why was Matsuda asking if he felt better?

"Unfortunately L is still a bit ill, but much better than he was." Light answered for him, "I think he might still be a little delirious though, but then that is hardly surprising as he has had a fever for the past two days, it got worse after we left on Thursday." Light did his best to remind the detective subtly that he had pretended to be ill before all the swimming pool chaos. It seemed to have worked as Light noticed the change in L's behaviour; he coughed slightly and looked around, apparently bewildered by the whole room. _Overacting again. _Light smiled involuntarily; even though he was hurting inside and barely keeping himself together he couldn't help but adore everything about the man he was chained to.

L wondered if he could quit again, claim that he was still too ill and go back to his room with Light, after all, there was no way he wanted to catch Kira anymore, not now that it could mean sending the one person who truly cared for him to his death. _No, I shall have to stay here. There is a 23% chance that it will be less awkward with everyone around us._ L walked slowly over to his chair, his usual stance and appearance, coupled with his attempt to look ill, served only to make him look like an extra in a low budget zombie film.

Light followed the detective to the computers, sitting down miserably. Watching as L's hand held the mouse lightly, _Fuck it! Give me the pain!_ Light gave up on trying to protect himself, he wanted those hands on him, even though it meant something different to the detective, he didn't care, he couldn't live without those soft hands holding his when they walked anywhere.

L scrolled the wheel on the mouse idly as his computer started up, his thoughts far away, back in the pool, before the diving incident. He wanted to rewind back to then, back to when everything was fine. He stared at the screen without seeing it, and he had to be called several times before he responded.

"…..L?" Light whispered to him, "Forget what I said this morning. I can take it." _What? _It took a minute for L to work out what Light was talking about, _Am I allowed to touch him now? Why did he change his mind, he was so upset about it this morning……._ L needed to know, would Light let him touch him again? He got up slowly, and made some pretence of leaning over Light to point to something on the screen, lightly hugging the younger one and stroking his arm softly as he did so.

"I'm sorry." He whispered in Light's ear. _Sorry I can't tell you how I feel._

Light froze; it felt so good to have L's arms around him in this discreet embrace, to feel L's fingers dancing on his skin, and his hot breath in his ear. But at the same time it threatened to tear his already broken heart, to rip it right from his chest. The conflicting feelings almost confused him as much as L's words. _Sorry? Don't apologise to me L, you can't help being perfect, it's not your fault that you are so utterly irresistible that I lost control of myself and kissed you!_

Light wiped his face discreetly, or at least without the task force seeing, L saw, and the tears only served to make him hug the teen more. He felt awful for what he was putting him through, all because he was too terrified to tell Light his true feelings.

Light, having been deprived of sleep for two nights running and having been subjected to such a wide range of emotions in the short space of time, was nearing his limits, both physical and mental. He wiped the tears away again with the sleeve of his shirt and as L hugged him tighter, it all became far too much for the young man and he fell into unconsciousness.

"Light?" L called frantically as the heartbroken teen passed out in his arms. "Light?"

"What's happened? Soichiro Yagami called as he made his way over in a rather desperate manner, sending flying a few of the files he had been looking over. "Light? Son? What's happened to him L?"

"I think he has fainted, but he will be fine, no doubt he has caught this awful fever of mine." L did as Light had previously, slipping his arms around the other and carrying him back to their room. The task force gazed after them in surprise, both at Light's sudden turn and L's ability to walk normally. L heard Matsuda comment on this as he walked away from them.

"Wow, did you see that? I almost expected him to pick Light up by the foot." _Idiot! _L could imagine the look Mr. Yagami was giving the youngest officer.

L reached the door of their room and easily unlocked the door with his bare toes. He lay Light softly on the bed, and began to go about removing the boys shoes and socks, in his opinion socks were horrible things and he wouldn't wish them on a healthy person, so there was no way he would leave Light in his now. Having completed the task he tucked the teenager into the bed and sat at it's foot. _I hope he is okay, and I hope it isn't my fault he has passed out, no on second thoughts that would be better; I don't want him to be ill. _

L sat and watched as Light slept fitfully and decided at length that he would remove the tie from around his neck, surely that couldn't be comfortable to sleep in. He had never worn one himself, and almost strangled Light in his attempt to remove it by pulling. Fortunately L was not an idiot. He realised soon enough that he was doing it wrong and on closer examination was able to understand why. He quickly loosened the tie and slipped it from the shirt collar, which surprised him in its stiffness. _That doesn't look to comfortable either_ he thought, smiling slightly as he began to unbutton the shirt, he was perfectly used to Light's body by now, but even so he felt he was unveiling some incredible piece of artwork.

Awkwardly enough it was at precisely this juncture that the teen awoke. "L?!" he swatted angrily at the detectives hands, "get away from me! What do you think you are doing" Light got up angrily and far too swiftly, losing his sight momentarily he caught hold of the bedside cabinet to steady himself until his vision returned and the dizziness passed.

"I was only trying to make you more comfortable." L replied, staring curiously as the teenager hastily refastened the four buttons he had managed to undo.

"Well don't next time, how the hell did we get back here anyway?" he demanded of the detective. "And stop staring at me, please."

"We are back here because you passed out Light-Kun, and for your information I may stare at whomever I wish to stare at." L snapped at the boy, hurt by the way Light was speaking to him.

"Fine" Light replied angrily, "Now let's go back to work."

"No." L replied, his tone softening, "I need to know why you fainted; did you feel ill beforehand?"

"No, not ill." Light replied, sitting beside L on the edge of the bed. "Sorry for being angry L, I know you don't mean to hurt me." he told the dark haired man, pulling him into a tight hug, L could feel the tears seeping through his shirt.

"Please don't cry Light-Kun. I would never hurt you, to tell the truth I think I should explain how I feel about you."

"Please don't" Light replied, _I can't bear to hear him reject me again. _

"But Light-Kun you don't understand, I......." L was cut off as Light clasped a hand to his mouth.

"Please L. lets just go back to being friends, exactly as we were." Light pleaded

"But you said this morning that we couldn't." L pointed out sounding a little confused.

"I already told you I changed my mind. It's my problem, I will deal with it."

***********************************************************************************

"Light-kun, are you done packing?" L asked hopefully as Light shoved the last of his things into a small suitcase.

"Almost." Light replied, sitting on top of the suitcase in attempt to force it shut. "Could you give me a hand with this?"

The dark haired man crawled the few meters between them, apparently too lazy to stand up. "What do you need me to do?" he asked, "I really don't think it's going to shut."

"Oh it will." Light replied jerking the zip angrily, despite the fact that the case was far from shut. "It will shut alright, if it knows what's good for it."

"I don't think it does." L replied simply. "You know, being as it's an inanimate object and all."

Light ignored this comment, climbing off angrily. "You sit on it." He said as he kicked it. L complied, despite feeling that it was pointless, it would seem that now was not the time to point out logical things to the teen. Like the fact that the clothes where already as compressed as they could be and the case was still open a good 5 inches. Light knelt on the floor beside the case. And began trying to drag the zip around it, pressing it together with his hands as he went. To L's surprise the case did begin to close, but it got stuck again about half way causing Light to look up at L, intending to ask him to shift his weight. Instead the teen found himself nose to nose with the detective who had been bending forward to watch Light's progress. Suddenly words failed him and he let go of the zip which went shooting back to its original position, the case sprung up so suddenly that L lost his balance and toppled forwards onto the younger man, causing him to fall back like a struck domino.

Light gazed up at the beautiful man straddling him; It was almost too much to take. Here he was, pinned to the ground by the love of his life, and completely aware that the dark haired man over him didn't feel the same.

"L, please get off me." Light suggested desperately, fighting to hold back tears.

"Sorry Light-Kun." L replied as he climbed off of and turned back to the problematic case, "Please don't cry because of me."

"I'm not crying." Light replied his voice breaking as he did so. "Why would I cry because of you?" he challenged the detective angrily. "And even if I did, why should you care? It's not like you give a fuck anyway."

L turned back to face the sobbing teenager, unsure what to do, he wanted to tell Light that he was wrong, that he did care, more than anything, but he couldn't say it, the words just wouldn't come out. So instead he went back to trying to pack Light's things.

"Light-Kun? Seeing as you aren't crying then, are you going to finish packing?" he asked throwing open the younger man's case.

_Cold bastard, _Light thought wiping away the tears and picking himself up. "What are you doing?!" Light grabbed the detective from behind, trying to pull him away from the case.

"Packing your things, now let go of me." L replied calmly.

"You're not packing them, you're destroying them!" Light released the detective, expecting him to stop ruining his clothes. "Do you treat your own things like that?" the teen demanded as L continued to screw up his neatly folded shirts, shoving them into the case and squashing them into any empty spaces.

"Of course, I am only utilising the space more efficiently." L told him plainly. "The way you had packed them was terribly ineffective."

***********************************************************************************

"Wow. This place is huge L!" Light said in wonder as he looked around the Entrance lobby of their new headquarters.

"I suppose it is." The detective replied, "But the size doesn't really matter. What's important is that we have very tight security." L pointed Light in the direction of large metal detectors.

"How are we going to get through with the handcuffs?" Light asked curiously, it looked like the system was all computerised.

"With the super special secret password of course……." Light was surprised at how serious the detective looked as he said this; he seemed to be looking at Light as if he was the one being stupid. "…..Which only I know."

L went up to a panel on the wall and flipped out a concealed keyboard, carefully hiding his password from Light as he entered it.

"You can't use that as a password!" the teen hissed in surprise. "Anyone who knows you could guess it."

"What? How did you see?" L turned to face him, completely shocked _does he have x-ray vision or something?_

"I didn't, I didn't have to, I could feel how many letters there were through the chain and I could see the expression on your face." _the same incredibly hot expression as usual. _Light was sure he would never forget that look on L's face.

"Stop bluffing Light-Kun. You don't know my password." L laughed at him, certain that the teenager was kidding.

"Oh really?" Light raised an eyebrow at the detective, "Wanna bet?"

"Fine, what are you betting?" L challenged.

"How about 'Strawberry Creams' Light suggested, causing L's eyes to widen in surprise.

"You saw!" he accused the teenager.

"No, like I said, I just know you." Light replied, taking L's hand and leading him towards the now open door to the side of the metal detector.


	11. 1st August 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 11 - 1st August 2004

Light leant back against the padded headboard, he wasn't sure whether L was really asleep or not, but he didn't want to risk waking the detective to find out. L had been so quiet last night, and Light couldn't decide what exactly he had done wrong now, was L really that annoyed that Light had guessed his password? Or was it Light's behaviour that was annoying him? _Am I being too pathetic? Too clingy? Should I pretend I don't care for him?_ Light decided to try and hide his feelings better, no wonder L was upset. Light knew that L cared about him as a friend, _It must be hard for him to watch me be miserable about this. I want him to be happy, so I guess that means I can't keep crying, at least not in front of him_. Unfortunately, thinking about this had only caused the tears to well up again, Light dug his finger nails into the palms of his hands in attempt to stop them, it helped a little but it didn't stop the single tear running down his cheek, he pressed his tongue into the point of his right canine tooth, not enough to draw blood, but enough for the pain to distract him. It worked, he was able to get a hold of himself again, to calm his breathing and focus on his goal, now that he had discovered a way to keep the tears back, surely he could avoid showing L how hurt he was, and then maybe L would cheer up......

*********************************************************************************************************

L stretched out and rolled over as he awoke, nearly knocking Light out of bed in the process.

"Hey!" Light pushed the detective back, smiling playfully, remembering the morning of the pillow fight and the tickling. _W__as that really less than a week ago? _Light almost wished he had taken it further back then, whilst he'd had L in a good mood and pinned helplessly to the bed.

"Sorry." L replied, still sounding annoyed.

"It's fine really, I was joking. Are you okay L?" Light asked, momentarily forgetting that he had decided to hide the fact that he cared. L simply shrugged and got out of bed, dragging the teen unceremoniously behind him. Light couldn't help but marvel at L's body, despite the fact that Light had taken to wearing a shirt to bed, L had not; in fact Light was beginning to suspect that L was deliberately being topless a lot more than he had done before, of course he could have been imagining it, maybe he was just more aware of it now because he knew L was completely unattainable but Light didn't think so, he was pretty sure that L was purposely being half naked at him.

L headed straight to the door opposite their bed, and nudged it open with his toes, wondering if their new en suite bathroom would be exactly as he had demanded in the design; it was. Perfect white tiles covered the walls and the floor, two shower cubicles stood against one wall, white frames, with frosted glass walls. _Oh! _L hadn't really been considering the practicalities of being chained together back then, his eyes slid over the two bathtubs against another wall. _I really wasn't thinking ….Oh well. _L smiled, this was fine, in fact he was thankful that his past self had been stupid enough not to give them any privacy, now Light would have to take that damned shirt off. L did not like the fact that Light was refusing to even be topless in front of him, he was attempting to make the point by refusing to get dressed himself. He had considered spending the whole day in only his pyjama bottoms, in the hope that Light would be tempted to kiss him again. Unfortunately it was beginning to seem as if the teenager was no longer attracted to him, or maybe he wasn't being alluring enough, L couldn't believe the way he was thinking lately, _should I try flirting with Light?_ The detective decided that he was going to have to try, but how did one flirt?

*********************************************************************************************************

Light was sure his mind was playing tricks on him, did L seriously expect him to shower in that see through cubicle? _I can't handle that! Not with L's naked body on the other side of a glass wall!_

"L? Did you know about this?" Light spoke accusingly.

"About what Light-Kun?" the dark haired man replied without turning to face him.

"About this!" Light pulled L around and gestured wildly around them, "about that!" He spun L in the direction of the showers, "about the total lack of privacy in this absurd room!"

"Are you quite done now?" L replied, his voice emotionless, but his eyes full of hurt, "For your information I designed this room, and I don't think it is absurd." L looked away from the teen, "and you never seemed to need 'privacy' before…"

Light simply stared at the detective, "That was before, before I knew where I stood with you."

"But you said we could go back to how we were." L insisted, returning Light's gaze, glaring at him.

"Do you get a kick out of my pain L? Is that it?" Light said completely abandoning his plan not to show his feelings.

"No I do not, but it's not like I'm going to be looking at you is it?" L said, clearly hurt.

"And what if I look at you?" Light challenged.

"Then you are a pervert and probably Kira." L snapped, and it was clear that this discussion was over.

L was fairly self conscious as he climbed into the cubicle, and he couldn't help peering through the glass to see if Light was looking at him. He wasn't, and L wasn't sure if he was more relieved or disappointed at this. M_aybe he really doesn't like me very much anymore….._L wriggled out of his pyjama bottoms, watching as Light pulled off his top, he couldn't see that clearly through the rose pattern on the glass, but it was clear that the teen was facing away from him, L was tempted to press his face to the glass for a better look, but he decided it was best not to. If Light did turn round to look at him, he wanted to look good, not to be pulling a stupid face against the glass.

Light heard L turn the shower on behind him, he was desperate to turn around and look, but if he did, L would think he was Kira. Light had hoped that L's suspicion of him had decreased, but apparently it had not, he pulled off his pyjama bottoms nervously, wondering if L was looking at him, the detective had said he wouldn't but Light had known L to lie before. He threw his pyjamas over the wall of the cubicle and turned on the water, it was perfectly warm and the cubicle rapidly began to fill with steam.

L couldn't understand it, didn't Light want to see him naked? He had been watching Light's figure and not once had he even turned to face him. L knew he had told Light that he wouldn't be looking, but he just couldn't help it; Light Yagami was beautiful, fuzzy through the frosted glass wall, but still perfect. L watched as the teenager lathered shampoo into his hair, almost forgetting to wash himself.

**********************************************************************************************************

Light's stomach growled, he was starving and L was still searching for the kitchen, supposedly there was one on their floor, personally Light was sure it was probably the other way as the only seemed to be discovering more and more spare bedrooms down this end of the corridor, but L continued to open and close each door they passed, his mood worsening as each one proved to be devoid of anything remotely edible.

"Please can we try the other way now L?" Light begged

"No, what if we did, but it turned out to be the next door along this way, we should do this methodically Light-Kun." L told him, "Ah this must be it!" Light was about to tell the detective that he was pretty sure it wasn't when he found himself being yanked through the door as L tripped into what appeared to be a small cupboard, in the split second before the door slammed behind them Light saw L blush as he looked up at him from the floor.

"L? Are you OK?" Light asked frantically as it went dark

"Yes, I'm fine can you open the door?" L answered from somewhere at his feet.

"Hang on I'm looking for a handle; fuck, L I think we are locked in."

"Don't be stupid Light-Kun." L replied, attempting to get up.

"I'm not, I seriously think we are.....fuck," Light swore as L grabbed his thigh for support.

"What?" the detective asked innocently, his other hand groping at Light's hip, the teenager tried desperately not to imagine where L's face must be, he grabbed the hand from his hip and pulled L to his feet, certain he was imagining the way L's other hand had ghosted over him as he stood up.

There was barely enough space for the two them to stand amongst the mops and cleaning supplies, L could feel Light's warm body only inches from his own, surely this was perfect, if Light still found him even remotely attractive he must be feeling the same, L reached out one hand, searching for Lights face, ready to pull it to his.

"Ow! What the fuck was that for!" Light screamed as L poked him in the eye.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry Light-kun. Are you OK? Where's this damn door handle?" _Well done L you idiot! _he scolded himself _you can't do anything right! _L reached around Light towards the door, perhaps pressing himself a little closer to the teen than was really necessary. He ran his hands over the door, _damn, he's right, there is no handle! _"Light-Kun do you have your cell phone on you?"

"No, it's in our bedroom, do you have yours?" Light asked hopefully

"No, I have no pockets; I am only wearing my pyjama bottoms."

_God L, don't remind me of that right now! _"Oh, so we really are trapped?" Light sighed.

"Maybe, unless you can help me kick the door down." L said, and Light wasn't sure if he was joking or not.

"Really? I didn't know you could kick anything." Light laughed, and was surprised when L did begin kicking at the door.

"Are you going to help or not?" L said, slightly worried about kicking past Light in the dark, he didn't want to hurt him anymore than he already had.

"Why don't you let me do it? Seeing as I'm nearer." Light suggested, and L stopped kicking.

Light kicked heavily at the door and immediately it fell away, "Down in one!" Light grinned,

"Only because I had already weakened it." L snapped, hungry again now that they were free of the cupboard, although he did feel a little bad about Light's eye.

"Whatever you say," the teen replied "now we are going this way." Light walked purposefully down the corridor, dragging L behind him.

*********************************************************************************************************

Light glanced at the detective, hunched over the kitchen table, waiting rather impatiently for him to finish cooking. Light had been shocked that L couldn't cook, the detective had opened the fridge and been horrified to find it full of normal food, apparently the detective had expected it to have been stocked with his favourites. He had had a very angry phone conversation with Watari, from what Light could hear the old man had been attempting to persuade L to try eating something healthy.

"Light, please, I'm hungry." L pleaded again, desperate to eat the sugar Light had taken off of him.

"It wont take long L. I promise you'll like it." Light soothed, praying it was true. _They do say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I hope he does like my cooking. _

"What are you making then?" L asked grumpily, annoyed with himself for asking, He had been trying to pretend that he wasn't interested in whatever Light was making.

"Meringue with strawberries and ice-cream." Light replied happily, he had always loved cooking.

"The strawberries you wouldn't let me eat?" L accused

"Yes, L, but you can eat them when I'm done." Light turned to smile at him. "Wanna see something cool?"

"What?" L asked suspiciously as Light walked towards him with the mixing bowl. He shut his eyes tight and ducked as Light tipped the bowl upside down over his head.

Light smiled at the detective's reaction, he set the bowl down on the table and ran his fingers through L's hair affectionately pulling him into a tight hug with the other arm. "L, you can open your eyes, it's fine. That was what I wanted to show you. The meringue mix stays in he bowl."

Light closed his eyes, just enjoying the fact that L wasn't pushing him away, at least not yet. He felt L move and opened his eyes, ready to back off, but instead of pulling away from him he felt the detective hug him back lightly, L looked up to meet his gaze.

"Sorry I overreacted Light-Kun, can you show me again?" the detective smiled up at him.

"Sure, but it's not all that spectacular really, look" Light picked up the bowl and held it upside down over his own head, his cheeks turning slightly red. "Yeah, so that's it anyway, sorry its pretty dull really."

"No, it's a foamed polymer, it's actually quite interesting." L replied simply, "Can I eat it yet?"

"No you can't, I have to cook it first." Light said, turning back to the baking tray he had prepared.

**********************************************************************************************************

"L? Are you asleep?" Light approached the detective cautiously, he was still sitting at the kitchen table in his usual pose, but his eyes were closed "L?"

"No, I'm not asleep Light-Kun. What is it now?" the detective replied without bothering to open his eyes.

"Its finished, you can eat it now." Light told him, a little concerned, it was unlike L to behave like this, he seemed almost depressed.

"It's about time!" L's eyes snapped open to find the desert on the table before him, "WOW, Light-Kun, it's amazing!" he looked up at the teen who blushed heavily as he took a seat opposite.

"Um, thanks." he replied, "but you should try it before you say that."

L stared at the ice cream glass in front of him, Light had layered vanilla ice-cream, strawberries and pieces of meringue with strawberry jam. _He really does know me quite well now. He goes to all this effort for me and I can't even tell him I care!_ L picked up the spoon Light had placed on the table and tried a small sample of the dessert.

Light could hardly bear to watch,_ what if he doesn't like it? What if he thinks I'm a rubbish cook? What if he really hates it? _Light continued to stare at the detective as he brought the spoon to his perfect lips, _please like it,_ he begged silently.

"Mmmm," L moaned slightly. "Light-Kun, this is delicious, Thank you so much for making it for me." _Thank God! _Light breathed a sigh of relief. "Aren't you eating some?" L asked, looking around for Light's portion.

"No, I thought I would make myself a sandwich or something." Light smiled at him, "I can't eat that much sugar in one go."

"Please try some, it really is very good." L held out a spoonful to the teen. Light leant across the table nervously, allowing the detective to feed him. _Why do you do this to me L?_ He thought miserably, it was too much to take, L was feeding him, again, _but why? He has made it perfectly clear hat he is not interested! So why does he do these things? _

"It's OK I suppose," he told L, trying to hide the sadness in his voice, "but I think I'll have a sandwich all the same."

"OK," L replied, putting another spoonful of ice-cream into his own mouth, closing his eyes, holding it there and allowing it to melt; a small dribble of vanilla escaped his lips and Light stared as his tongue darted out to catch it, _why can't you just look away? _he commanded himself _this is exactly what caused you to kiss him before, just look away, he is not flirting with you. _

L opened his eyes partially and gazed at Light in what he hoped was a seductive manner, _Is it working? I should have tried this in mirror first, well he is looking at me like he did before, so maybe it is working....._L picked a strawberry out of the glass with his fingers and continued to look into Light's eyes as he licked off the sauce and ice-cream. _Come on Light, do it again, please want me. _L tried to will Light into action, but he was disappointed when Light turned away from him.

"I think I'll make that sandwich now." the teen mumbled as he headed over to the fridge.

*********************************************************************************************************

Light glanced at his wristwatch, it was still early evening. Light sighed, L was being incredibly odd and the teen was almost looking forward to going to bed, at least tomorrow the task force would move in and maybe L would stop doing whatever it was he was trying to do, Light refused to allow himself to even consider the idea that L was flirting with him, there had to be some other explanation, perhaps he really did keep brushing against Light by accident, and surely he hadn't been fluttering his eyelashes at him, he must have got something in his eye. Unless of course L was doing it intentionally, just to hurt him, but Light refused to believe that L would do that.

"Do you want to go to the gym Light-Kun?" L suggested. "We have a private one somewhere on our floor."

"Sure," Light replied, not really caring anymore, he just wanted L to stop torturing him, or at least put a shirt on or something. "I didn't know you liked working out?"

"I don't usually, but I though maybe you would like to." L told him, grabbing his hand and leading him down the corridor. _Great! He thinks I'm fat! _Light forced back the tears again, there was no way he was going to cry in front of L anymore, but just in case he dropped back to walk slightly behind the detective as he bit into his tongue to distract himself once more.

_Please review!!!! I am working on chapter 12 - THE FIGHT!! (and L's awesome cake theft)_


	12. 2nd August 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 12 - 2nd August 2004

"Really?" L whispered into the microphone on his headset, careful not to wake the sleeping teenager in the bed behind him.  
"Look L, I'm sure he's not that special," Matt replied and L glared into the webcam, "What I mean is there are plenty more fish in the sea and all that, and really I think you're better off without him, believe me relationships aren't everything." L watched as the Matt on his screen glanced behind him nervously.  
"Are you and Mello okay Matt?" L asked, concerned now for his young successors.  
"Yeah, we're good. You know what Mell's like though, I guess you wouldn't have seen it in Japan; the NHS has got this new advert about smoking and impotence....He's just a bit paranoid." Matt laughed, but L wasn't fooled, he'd seen this act plenty of times in the past.  
"What did he do now?" the detective asked reluctantly.  
"You really don't want to know." Matt replied, wincing at the memory. "Anyway, I wanna know more about this guy, what's so special about him then?"

Light woke up to L's soft voice, _who is he talking to?_ Light strained to hear L's whispers....  
"Well, he's about my height and he's incredibly intelligent, he is a bit younger than me but he is so much stronger; he can pin me down with one arm...." _is he talking about me?_ "... and he is an amazing cook." _Really?_ Light sat up quietly, L appeared to in the middle of a video call, and Light found himself strangely jealous of the ginger boy in goggles. "I'm not that upset about it," the detective replied to something the weirdo on screen had asked. "I'm just a bit down, but I'll be fine." Light wondered what it was that L was upset about, he yawned loudly in order to alert the detective to his presence; he didn't want him to know that he had been eavesdropping.

"I think he's waking up" L whispered. "Bye Matt." L closed the window quickly, but not before he head Matt laughing at him,  
"Oh my God! You already slept with him! Just wait 'til I tell Mello about this!" _Damnit, Wammy's is going to be hell next time!_ L thought angrily, but he didn't really have much choice, who else could he talk to about this kind of thing?

"Good morning Light-Kun" L said plainly, standing up and heading towards the bathroom, without bothering to wait until Light had scrambled out of bed, _what is wrong with him_? Light thought, both annoyed and concerned.

L was not impressed with the situation, Misa had insisted on a date with Light, and of course he had to tag along. He'd had terrible morning already; having to share Light's attention with Misa and the task force, as well as arguing with Watari again, which really hadn't helped his mood. He had been increasingly miserable lately, no doubt due to his complete failure to get anywhere with Light. He had been trying so hard to flirt with the teen, but if anything Light had been even more distant. L had never been happier than when he was with the teenager, even if things had been rather messed up over the past few days; but he knew it couldn't last. He had played around in his head with the idea of keeping Light prisoner forever, but he knew he couldn't. People would no doubt become suspicious if he kept it up for too long.

He looked up from his cake to see Misa glaring at him with murderous intent. There were moments when L was sure she knew how he felt about her boyfriend, _Shame she can't see how he feels about her,_ he thought aggressively as he glared back. She noticed his expression and began complaining about his presence again, he'd show her.

"By the way Misa-San, will you be eating that cake?" he asked, fully well knowing that her insecurities would stop her. _Stupid woman, you're nothing special really, paranoid about your weight, swayed by the silly magazines you love so much._ He could almost predict her answer.  
"Sweets are fattening, no thanks" she said, rudely implying that he would get fat. L smiled; time for another dig at her intellect. No matter how down he was, insulting Misa was always enjoyable.  
"If you use your head you can eat sweets without gaining weight though," he grinned, she had understood him.  
"Ah! You're making fun of me again" she said, but for some reason she smiled, _That can't be good, What are you planning now?_  
"Fine. I'll give you the cake," she said sweetly, "so can Light and I be alone?" _Ah so that's your game, well there is no way you are going to be alone with him if I can help it._  
"Even if you are alone, I'll be watching on the monitors so it won't make any difference." L said casually as he stood up on the sofa, reaching over to take the cake as she called him a pervert. "You may call me whatever you wish, but I am taking your cake" he told her, wondering if she knew that he wanted to take something, well someone, much more precious from her.

Light sighed, he was getting annoyed with Misa's comments, _and she calls L the pervert?_ He stifled a chuckle; they all knew who he would be getting under the covers in the dark with tonight. He glanced to his left, watching as the detective began on the cake he had so magnificently stolen. He had noticed L becoming increasingly subdued lately, only really speaking when spoken to, even when they were alone, actually he had been acting rather strangely when they were alone, and Light was still trying to convince himself that the detective was not flirting with him.  
"Whatever," Light responded to Misa's stupid suggestion without looking at her. "We have this great facility now, yet you don't seem very into it, Ryuzaki." He tried to draw the detective out of his sulking.  
"Into it?" the detective repeated, "Not really, I'm actually kind of depressed." He told the teenager.  
"Depressed?" Light wondered if there was anything he could do to cheer L up. _Is it my fault?_ As L went on to explain Light found himself becoming very annoyed, this wasn't like the L he loved, to give up? And more importantly if they gave up the investigation, how would he ever clear his name?

L rattled out some long winded explanation for his depression, to be honest he was past caring about the Kira case, he just wanted to be chained to Light forever, he didn't know what to do if Light did turn out to be guilty. "Why even bother?" he finished his explanation. "Trying hard to go after him just puts us in danger…. Don't you agree? I've thought I was going to die so many times already." That was closer to the truth, he had never before cared if he lived or died, but now, he had something to live for. He had a friend and potentially so much more, if only he could make Light see the way he felt!

Light was shocked by L's attitude, surely if the investigation stopped then he would never see L again, he wouldn't stand for that. He would prefer L to suspect him forever! He couldn't stand to see those perfect eyes so sad. Angrily, and without really thinking he stood up and punched L's beautiful face, sending him flying across the room. He advanced on the startled detective, yelling at him, trying to get some sort of enthusiasm out of the man.

As Light got closer to him, L sprang into action kicking Light away with all he had, he'd had enough of this, the boy may not know it but Light was so unobservant it was driving him crazy, it wasn't fair, he had been trying so hard! And how the hell did he deserve to be punched? "I'm only human," he stated sadly. _Sure I'm human but I've never had many human experiences, so why now, do I have to have all these very human feelings?! _

"I wanted you to be Kira," he lied, maybe if he made things difficult between them, if he and Light fell out completely, this would stop, maybe if he made Light hate him he could go back to being L properly, back to being lonely without caring. Light punched him again, harder this time, and again L kicked him away.

Light had never really been in a fight before. So he wondered if this was normal, the adrenaline racing through him, he didn't really want to hurt L, but he seemed to need this too, he could see it in L's face, he needed this. He was always so calm, suppressing any aggressive thoughts, he obviously needed a release and if it would help him, Light would gladly be his punch bag.

**********************************************************************************************************

L found that he was somewhat more relaxed than he had been in a long time, maybe he had needed the fight with Light; the atmosphere between them was much calmer now. They had retired to their floor for the night, leaving the rest of the task force on the floors below. For a moment L had been terrified that Misa would insist on spending more time with Light, but fortunately she had given up when Light had told her to go to bed.  
"Light-Kun?" L asked cautiously, he was hoping to take advantage of the calmness between them to sort things out. Matt had told him to either go for it or give up, and there was no way he was giving up now.  
"Yes L?" Light replied, lying down beside him on their large bed.  
"Do you still feel the same? About me?" the detective asked, his cheeks turning a violent red as he looked away nervously.

_What? Why do you care?_ Light didn't answer for a few minutes, wondering which answer L wanted, "Does it matter?" he replied at length, looking away from the dark haired man beside him, trying to keep himself together, preparing himself for L's answer.  
"Yes, it does matter." L replied rolling over to face Light's back and slipping his fingers under the crisp white shirt to trace circles and patterns on Light's skin.  
"That feels nice." Light found himself smiling, _What does this mean? Does he feel the same about me?_ "And yes, I still feel that way about you, I'm sorry L, I can't help it."

"Don't be sorry Light-Kun." L pulled Light's shoulder rolling him onto his back, he wanted to tell him, to kiss him, but he just didn't know how, so instead he found himself stroking Light's hair. "I'm the one who should be apologising." he said softly. "It wasn't fair how I reacted the other day; I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know you didn't mean to" Light smiled, closing his eyes as L continued to run his fingers through his hair. "You're going to put me to sleep like that." he whispered sleepily, content to have L touching him, he didn't question L's motives, fearing that questions may cause this side of L to disappear again, and he definitely didn't want that.

"Sleep then," L whispered softly, "and maybe I'll tell you when you wake up….." L smiled at the teen who was already drifting into sleep.

**********************************************************************************************************

Light woke up a few hours later to find L's arm across his chest, the detective was asleep beside him, snuggled into his shoulder. _Am I still dreaming?_ Light didn't dare to move, he wasn't exactly comfortable, having fallen asleep without changing into his pyjamas but being uncomfortable was fine if this was what he got in return, it felt almost like L wanted him, _Why else would he fall asleep cuddling me?_ Light checked his watch carefully, it was gone midnight, he wondered how long L had been asleep like this, _He said he would tell me something…maybe. I wonder what it was._ Light rolled slowly to face the detective without waking him; he gazed lovingly into L's beautiful face, only inches from his own. The detective looked so peaceful, dark lashes resting on his pale skin, perfect lips slightly parted in his sleep. Light was sorely tempted to kiss him again, but he wasn't stupid, he wasn't going to mess it all up again, not now, just when things seemed to be looking up. He pulled L closer instead, wrapping an arm around him and resting his chin on L's shoulder. He wondered if L would mind when he woke up like this, but he didn't have long to think about it as L hugged him back just as tightly.  
"What time is it?" the detective whispered without opening his eyes.  
"Nearly one in the morning," Light said, "sorry I didn't mean to wake you." He pulled away from the detective slightly and brushed his dark hair away from his face.  
"That's ok, I need to talk to you anyway." L replied, pulling Light closer again and burying his face against the teen's chest, he felt stupid enough saying this without Light staring at him, and he was scared. Admitting he had feelings was a big step for L.  
"You said you were going to tell me something, is this what you meant?" Light whispered nervously.  
"Yes." L replied, still pressing himself against the teenager's chest, "Light-Kun I…I think, I may be….." L paused again, taking a deep breath, "Inlovewithyou." He said it all as a single word and for a moment Light was sure he had misheard the detective.  
"L, did you just say you love me?" he asked nervously, terrified that he had got it wrong.

"Yes. I did." L replied, wondering what would happen now, he felt weird having said it, free almost. "Light-Kun?" he looked up at the boy now, wondering why he was being so quiet. Light appeared to have gone into shock, at least he was simply staring at L with wide eyes, his mouth kept opening and closing as if he wanted to say something but he couldn't decide what it was. Eventually he seemed to give up on this as L felt him shift his weight and he watched apprehensively as the teen rolled over him and brought his lips to his for the second time, kissing him gently, softly. L kissed back instantly this time, he noticed the difference, Light was being much more careful with him, more guarded and he pulled away after only a few seconds, having found his voice again.  
"I love you too L, more than anything," he whispered, rolling to the side again and laying back into his pillow beside the detective. L snuggled into him and rested his head on Light's shoulder.  
"I should have told you before." He murmured softly, "I just didn't know how,"  
"It's ok, I shouldn't have been so hasty last time," Light stroked the detective's hair comfortingly.  
"Light-Kun, as you know, I am new to this, these feelings and I don't really know how to be intimate with anyone" L explained, blushing heavily "so, I'm sorry if I can't be quite what you want me to be, not yet anyway, I do love you though and I think in time maybe I could….." L stopped talking as Light placed a finger gently on the detective's lips to silence him.  
"I know you're new to this," he soothed, moving his hand back to run through L's hair, "I promise I won't rush you, we can take this as slowly as you need to, just knowing that you love me back is more than I had come to hope for, and enough to make me more than happy," Light said as he hugged the detective tighter. "Just sleep now L, I'll still be here in the morning," he whispered gently.


	13. 3rd August 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 13 - 3rd August 2004

L woke up feeling happy. He could feel Light's warm skin against his cheek and his gentle fingers running through his hair, _I wonder how long he has been awake for? _  
"Good morning Light-Kun." he said happily, snuggling against the teen's chest, scarcely daring to believe that this was real.  
"Good morning L." Light replied, sounding a little nervous.  
"What's wrong?" the detective asked sitting up beside the teen, suddenly worried. _Have I done something to upset him again?_  
"Nothing; as long as you haven't changed your mind?" Light asked apprehensively, stretching as he sat up to join L.  
"Of course not, I can't change my mind, believe me I tried very hard to do that when I realised what was happening." L laughed slightly.  
"Really? When was that?" Light asked tracing patterns on the detectives forearm.  
"Um, well I knew I liked you a lot before the handcuffs," L began, "but I didn't realise how much it mattered to me until later, if you must know I only worked out that I was gay on the day you did the Macarena." L looked away, feeling rather silly explaining all this. "How about you? When did you know?"

"That I was gay? Or that I loved you?" Light asked pulling L's face gently round to face him again. _God he's cute when he's embarrassed. _  
"Both?" L replied curiously.  
"Well, I've known I was gay since the moment I hit puberty but I've never felt like this about anyone before and I've never had a boyfriend because I was afraid my parents would find out." Light felt himself blush slightly as he looked into L's beautiful dark eyes. "I have loved you since I first saw you in the exam." He admitted, "I was sure I was going to fail because I couldn't stop thinking about you."  
"But, what about Misa?" L asked, suddenly confused.  
"I don't love her." Light replied, looking insulted at the thought of it.  
"But she loves you; you are cheating Light-Kun!" L said, sounding panicked and hurt. "Oh, am I the other woman?! I don't want to be your mistress." L stared at his knees, hugging them closer to his chest miserably. There were tears in his eyes and Light hated that he was causing L pain. _Why does Misa always ruin everything?_

"Trust me L, you are the only one for me, I do not care for Misa at all, I am only going out with her because she wouldn't leave me alone, she is obsessed with me, and it keeps my mother happy to think I am heterosexual - to tell the truth, I feel nothing when she kisses me." Light explained pleadingly, desperate for L to see that she meant nothing.

"Then break up with her, please!" L sobbed, "I can't cope with seeing her hands all over you, not now." L considered abusing his position and having her arrested for something.  
"I can't, my parents would be suspicious." Light pleaded, "I can't just break up with a girl like Misa without a very good reason."  
"You are embarrassed of me, aren't you?" L accused burying his head in his knees.  
"Don't be silly L, why would I ever be embarrassed of you, you are the cleverest man in the world, and you are gorgeous; but do you think anyone can ever know about us? Have you forgotten who you are? Who I am?"  
Tears began to spill again from L's eyes. "Why can't I just be normal?"  
Light wrapped his arms around the detective. "Look L, I don't want anyone to know about us. I don't want anyone to question your judgement; I'm still the main Kira suspect, remember. And if people know you actually have romantic feelings I may have some competition! I'm pretty sure I've seen Mogi eyeing you up." Light laughed and L found himself laughing too, despite the tears still soaking his jeans.  
"So, you are going to stay with her?" he asked, calming down slightly.  
"For now," Light soothed, "not forever."  
"She wants to marry you though," L told him looking up sternly, "I won't let her; I will arrest her again if I ever think you like her."  
"Ok, deal, but it's not going to happen." Light agreed, "Now come on, let's go and shower in that perverted bathroom of yours."

**********************************************************************************************************

L paused by the showers, for some reason he felt even more uncomfortable with this now that everything was out in the open.  
"L? Are you ok?" Light asked, stopping close behind the detective and wrapping his arms around L's waist. "I promise I won't rush you." he whispered, hugging L tighter.  
"I'm fine, just a bit self conscious." L laughed "I know it's silly really." Light pulled the detective around to face him.  
"L, I love you, you are incredible and you have nothing to feel self conscious about. I didn't look at you in the shower yesterday or the day before and I promise I'm not going to today. I told you, I won't rush this."  
"Thank you Light-Kun, but, I have a confession to make." L said looking away and blushing, "I did look."  
"What?!" Light pulled away from the older man. "After you said you wouldn't? After telling me that I was a pervert if I did? After saying I was KIRA if I looked at you?" Light shouted, and L wasn't sure whether the red in his cheeks was embarrassment or anger.  
"I'm sorry." L mumbled, "I just peeked to see if you were looking and then I sort of couldn't help it."

"You couldn't help it?" Light repeated, calming down slightly. _I suppose that is rather flattering, but still….it's just not right!_ "Learn some self control," he muttered under his breath as he climbed into his cubicle, leaving L standing outside.

_Maybe I shouldn't have said anything……_L reflected miserably_….I forgot about his temper, and now he's angry with me!_ The detective climbed into his cubicle and undressed, not daring to check whether Light was looking or not.  
"I'm sorry." he called out as he turned on the water, "I couldn't really see anything anyway," he called again when Light didn't reply.  
"That's not the point." the teen shouted back. "The point is that you looked when you said you wouldn't, you lied to me."  
"I'm sorry," L called back, "you can look at me if you want Light-Kun, but please don't be angry with me!"  
"It doesn't work like that L," Light called out, "like I said, that's not what I am upset about, sure it's embarrassing that you looked but what hurts is that you said you wouldn't."

L quickly washed the shampoo out of his hair and turned of the water. "Are you done washing now Light-Kun?" he asked as he stepped out of his cubicle and wrapped a towel around his waist.  
"Give me a minute." Light growled. "What's the rush anyway?"  
"Nothing, I just wanted to talk to you properly." L said, mentally trying to work out whether Light was overreacting or not.

Light stepped out of the cubicle in a towel a few seconds later, and seeing how upset L looked he immediately stopped being angry with the detective and wrapped his arms comfortingly around the older man. "I'm sorry L. I guess I am just a bit embarrassed, I'm not angry, I can't be angry with you, not when you make me the happiest I have been in my entire life." Light looked into the detective's deep eyes, "Just, please don't lie to me," he said leaning in to kiss L softly on the lips.

L didn't have a chance to answer that he wouldn't as Light's soft lips met his, kissing him gently. Their wet body's pressed closely together. The detective wrapped one arm tightly around Light's body, running his other hand softly through the teen's still dripping hair.

"Good morning everyone!" L chirped happily as he and Light joined the taskforce.  
"You seem happier." Misa accused as she ran past L on her way to hug Light. _Not any more._ L snarled at her in his mind. _Get your filthy hands off of him!_ L looked away quickly, heading over to his computer with Light following behind him hurriedly.

Eager to escape from his girlfriend, Light quickly sat down beside L, noticing that the detective had moved their chairs a fairly obvious 10 inches closer to one another, so that they were almost touching. He smiled - L was clearly a bit possessive, not that he minded that in the slightest. Light had just turned on his computer when he felt two arms around him, hugging him from behind, two distinctly female arms. "Misa, I need to work now," he said plainly without bothering to look at her.  
"But Liiiiiggghht," she pleaded, leaning between him and L in an attempt to kiss him.  
"Misa-San, we need to catch a mass murderer here, can you please let us concentrate." L interrupted angrily.  
"Why can't you just let me say good morning to my boyfriend?" she complained irritably, turning to face the detective "He's mine and you can't have him!" _Shut up!_ Light screamed at her in his mind, _I am not yours!_ He was about to tell her to go away again when she forcefully pressed her lips to his, kissing him fully and passionately, as if she hadn't noticed the whole task force watching them. Light didn't know what to do, if he pushed her away his father would be angry and he would have to explain himself, which could cause problems for L. In the end he kissed back reluctantly, hoping that that would be the end of it, but the girl just wouldn't stop. Light tried to pull away without hurting her, but he was trapped, she was sitting on his lap and pressing herself against him.

L couldn't stand this, he stood up suddenly, grabbed the girl roughly by the shoulders and pulled her off of **his** Light-Kun. "GET OUT!" he yelled at her, and then dropping his voice to a very low whisper, "If I ever see you touch him again; you will be serving a life sentence before you can even think his name. He does not belong to you." He pushed her aggressively towards Matsuda. "Take her somewhere and don't let her back in." he ordered, sitting back down at his computer and glaring at the teenager as the girl ran crying from the room.

Light looked apologetically at the detective. He wasn't alone in staring at L though; the whole room was shocked by the usually quiet detective's sudden outburst. Light sighed as Watari marched over to them, _Crap, has he worked it out? _  
"Outside now, both of you!" the elderly man shouted and L stood up reluctantly and followed Watari towards the door, motioning for Light to do the same.

*********************************************************************************************************

Light closed his eyes as the lights dimmed in the movie theatre, preparing himself for two hours of hell. He and L had been ordered to take Misa out by way of an apology, and she had insisted on seeing a film. He opened his eyes again as he felt the girl's hand on his thigh, this was exactly what he had been dreading, she was no doubt going to take advantage of their setting to touch him as much as she could, he felt her move her hand higher. _Maybe she does have a good idea though....._Light turned to look at L, who appeared to be rather uncomfortable, he had tried to sit in his usual manner, but the young family behind him had complained that they couldn't see through his head, and he had reluctantly sat down normally. Light slid his hand comfortingly onto L's leg, careful not to grab him in the perverted manner in which Misa still grasped his own.

L looked down in surprise as Light touched him, looking across Light's lap he noticed Misa's hand rubbing his thigh suggestively. _Little bitch, didn't I warn her this morning?! _  
"Light-Kun?" he whispered nervously to the teen, "can you swap seats with me? I'm scared being on the edge, I'd rather sit in the middle if you don't mind." Light understood instantly, and judging by the way Misa glared at him so did she.  
"Sure, I don't mind sitting on the edge." Light replied, eager to escape from Misa's wandering hands.

L's excuse of being scared turned out to be quite believable - despite that it was supposed to be a children's film, the detective jumped in alarm every time the villain appeared. Light smiled whenever he did this, it was really quite cute, and he wasn't complaining about the way L grabbed onto him each time. Light glanced over to where Misa sat on L's other side. She was so focused on the film that Light doubted she would notice anything.

L jumped again as he felt Light's hand on his shoulder, he turned to face the teen, surprised to find himself very close to him, much too close for public, L glanced around, everyone else was completely focused on the movie, no one would even notice that they were too close to one another, he closed his eyes as Light leant in to kiss him softly on the lips, slipping one hand gently behind L's neck, pulling him closer. As Light's tongue slipped past his lips, L heard himself moan involuntarily, causing Light to pull away suddenly.

_That was stupid!_ Light scolded himself, _you can't risk getting caught!_ Light squeezed L's hand and the detective looked back at him apologetically,  
"Sorry Light-Kun," he whispered and Light shook his head,  
"Later." the teen whispered back; _we can finish that later._

**********************************************************************************************************

Light collapsed onto the bed as soon as they got to their room. That had been one disastrous date, not only had he spent the whole movie dying to kiss the detective again, but Misa had insisted on going to a restaurant afterwards, where she had passed the time by insulting L childishly between mouthfuls of whatever it was she had ordered; some sort of green mush if Light remembered correctly. He had been much more interested in watching L.

L locked the door and joined Light on the bed, thankful that he could have the teen to himself at last, but pleased that Misa had been avoiding touching him too much; she was clearly a bit scared after his warning, not that she had understood him fully, it was clear she still believed that Light loved her and that L was just being weird. _At least I get to spend the nights with him._ L turned to look at the teenager beside him. He was lying back with his eyes closed, the fingers slowly caressing L's forearm - the only sign that he was awake.

"Light-Kun?" L asked nervously  
"Yes L?" the teen replied, opening his eyes to gaze at the beautiful man beside him.  
"When you said later....." L let his voice trail off and Light smiled at him as he rolled over to hover above the detective, bringing his lips down to meet L's. _Just a kiss though,_ Light reminded himself, _you can't ruin this, just stick to kissing him, a lot._


	14. 4th August 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 14 - 4th August 2004

L lay awake beside the sleeping teenager, he was thinking about kissing, not in the romantic way one would expect but in a purely academic manner, or so he tried to convince himself. He was trying to work out why exactly he liked it so much when Light kissed him, he understood the sensory and chemical processes but surely that couldn't really explain it. He chewed on his thumb thoughtfully; perhaps this was an area which required some more research. Yes, that must be it, in order to understand he would just have to investigate a lot further, starting as soon as the teen woke up. Well, that gave him a few hours to kill, he turned on his laptop, intent on passing the time with online gaming, he wondered vaguely if Matt would be up for raiding a necropolis or something.

The detective was surprised to find that the buildings internal system indicated that he was not the only one awake, curiously he remotely accessed the other users computer, clearly it was Misa, she was on some sort of girly chat site, hideous pink text offered him relationship advice or beauty tips. He smiled as the cursor clicked the link to relationship advice, she certainly needs it! Does this mean she has realised that Light doesn't love her? L watched in amusement as she checked a chat thread which she had created a few days ago; apparently she had absolutely no desire to keep her private life private. There had only been two replies; her original message described how Light never seemed to want to touch or kiss her and then rambled on about how perfect he was for two poorly constructed paragraphs. L grinned happily at the first reply.

"Are you blind? He is obviously gay and having it off with his best friend. - Dump the bastard."

The next reply wasn't so useful.

"He sounds amazing! I bet he is just being all old fashioned and he wants to take things slowly, maybe you should try dropping some hints."

L smiled even more, a new plan forming in his head, will she really take advice from strangers over the internet? L hurriedly went through the motions of setting himself up an account on the site. He chose the name 'sugary_shortcake' thinking it sounded girly enough, and then he decided that he was a 16 year old blonde and that his favourite things were boys and lipgloss.

**********************************************************************************************************

As soon as Light opened his eyes a few hours later, L pounced, leaning over the teen and pressing his lips to his. _Oh, I must still be asleep_ Light thought, certain that he was still dreaming, L had never initiated one of their kisses….. _well, if this is a dream, I may as well take advantage of it_. It was strangely exciting, the older man leaning over him, taking control but even so, there was no way that Light Yagami was going to be dominated by L, not even in a dream, swiftly the teen rolled on top of L, deepening the kiss and pressing himself against the older man, his hands trailing over the detective's pale torso…..

L was shocked, this was very sudden, the way Light was kissing him now made last night's kisses seem completely innocent, chaste even, this kiss reminded him of the first one, and with a pang of regret L remembered how he had pushed Light away. He moaned loudly as Light softly bit his lower lip, It felt amazing but still he was sure this was too much, he wasn't ready for this sort of thing. _What happened to not rushing me?_ L pushed Light back slightly, ending the kiss and looking into Lights hungry and confused eyes,  
"Light-Kun?" he breathed. "Maybe we should get up now."  
Light sat up suddenly, looking around him. "I'm awake?"  
"I believe so…" L replied "…at least I know I certainly am." The detective looked worriedly into the teen's face.  
"Oh Fuck!" Light scrambled off L quickly. "I'm so sorry L; I thought I was still asleep, I thought I was dreaming…"  
"And that is what you dream about?" A look of panic crossed L's face. _What else does he do to me in this dreams?!_  
Light turned positively scarlet, "Well, I have dreamt about you before…." Light trailed off knowing that this could seriously scare the detective away. "I love you L," he finished, hoping that the detective would focus on that.  
"What exactly do you dream about me?" L said, sounding angry and a little hurt.  
"Please L; I can't help what I dream about can I?" Light pleaded  
"I see." L said simply, unsure what exactly to make of it all. "Well, now that we are both awake and aware of it, perhaps we should go and shower now Light-Kun, I have a feeling today might be rather interesting." He grinned wickedly at the teen.

*********************************************************************************************************

"Morning." Light greeted the task force, both surprised and infinitely grateful when Misa's only greeting was to look up from where she sat on the floor, apparently helping Matsuda with some paperwork, _Wait a minute…Did she just stroke his arm? What the hell is going on?_

"Hello everyone." L said happily, grinning at Misa's behaviour, _Brilliant, she is taking my advice already!_ L headed over to sit at his usual chair and Light took his place beside him.  
"L? Do you think Misa is acting a bit differently?" Light asked, completely confused by her sudden change in behaviour.  
"I hadn't noticed." L replied without bothering to look at the teen, he was certain today was going to be great. That certainty did not however last very long.

"Ryuzaki-San, Misa Misa helped put these papers together for you." The girl said sweetly as she slid the pile onto the desk beside him. "Oh, can I borrow that pen?" she asked, leaning across L very suggestively.  
"Um, yes I suppose so." L replied, alarmed by her sudden closeness.  
"Thanks Ryuzaki-San," she replied, sitting down beside him, brushing her leg against his as she did so. _Oh my GOD?! THIS IS NOT WHAT I MEANT!_ L glanced nervously at a very confused looking Light. Turning away from the girl he edged his chair slightly closer to Light's, freezing in horror as he heard Misa's chair following.  
"Ryuzaki-San?" she began, "Misa Misa needs clever Ryuzaki-San to help her!"  
L groaned, "What do you need me to help you with Misa-San?" he asked, smiling slightly as she pointed to the crossword in front of her. _As much as I hate the girl, I do love crosswords!_  
"Light-Kun? Can you help Misa and I with this crossword?" he compromised.

Unfortunately the crossword was not the cryptic sort that L preferred, although as far as L was concerned this one was still fun. It had been pulled out of one of Misa's girly magazines and if they filled it out correctly they would be in with a chance to win a year's supply of chocolate. L was amazed at how easy some of the clues were, _Surely Misa isn't this stupid?_ He wondered _this must just be an excuse to sit with us._

"Month in which children dress up and receive candy," Misa read out the next clue. "Seven letters, that's Halloween isn't it?" she asked L, pointedly ignoring her boyfriend.  
"Yes, the answer is 'October'." he told her, retrieving his hand from her grasp.

"You celebrate Halloween?" Light chipped in curiously. _I thought Halloween would be one of those social events L hates, although I suppose he would like all the candy……_  
"It happens to be one of my favourite days." L said "It's actually a very important day for me." the detective smiled at him.  
"My favourite day is Christmas!" Misa interrupted, trying to drag attention back to her.

**********************************************************************************************************

L collapsed in relief into an armchair in the living room on his and Light's floor, glad to finally be away from Misa.

"L?" Light asked sternly, placing a hand on each arm of L's chair and leaning over him. "Are you going to tell me why Misa was flirting with you today?"  
"Was she?" L replied, attempting to look surprised.  
"Yes, and don't feign ignorance or I might start thinking you're dating her behind my back." Light accused jokingly  
"Oh, because that would be so much worse than you dating her in font of my face?" L said, getting a little annoyed.  
"L, you know I don't like her at all, you are the only one I care for." Light kissed L's forehead gently. "But I can see that there is something you aren't telling me."  
"Fine, I may have sort of told her to flirt with someone else to make you jealous...." L trailed off. "I just wanted her to back off a bit, I can't stand seeing her touch you, but I didn't think she would choose me!" L looked slightly nervous as he gazed up at Light. _Please don't be angry with me!_ he thought desperately.

Light was slightly thrown by L's confession. "I assume you did this anonymously?" he asked, "I doubt Misa would actually take advice from you." Light ran his fingers through L's hair as the detective nodded, still leaning over him, caging him into the armchair. "And thank you, it makes a nice change not having her all over me, although I was a bit pissed off that you encouraged her with the crossword."  
"I'm sorry." L said, "I just wanted the year's supply of chocolate."  
Light leant down and kissed L softly, "I'll buy you the chocolate L, you don't need Misa's stupid magazine, and you do know those things are just scams anyway right?"  
"There's always a chance." L smiled as Light pulled him out of the armchair and led him over to their bed.  
"Tell me how you managed to get Misa to leave me alone?" Light asked, "Is there any way you can make her stick to Matsuda or something?"  
"I'm not sure, I told her over the internet......" L went on to explain and show Light the website, needless to say Light was not impressed that Misa had told the world about them, although he was slightly flattered by her description of him.

"Sugary Shortcake?" Light laughed, "That does sound like you." L blushed and closed the screen before Light got a chance to see the profile page he had created. Light snatched the laptop away quickly, flipping it open as he dashed across the room. "Really? I never knew you had a thing for lipgloss?" Light grinned, "Oh, and you've done this crush quiz thing…" Light was shocked at L's sudden determination to get the computer back. The detective lunged at him, knocking the teen onto the bed and slamming the laptop shut. Light noticed that he was redder than ever. "I'm sorry L, I won't read it if you don't want me to." Light put one arm around the older man, who looked away and handed the computer back to him. "You can look at it, I'm just embarrassed."

Light opened the screen and read the result L had got from taking a "Love or Crush?" quiz.

"Obsessed?" he read out. "You are obsessed with me?" He laughed slightly as L burrowed under the duvet. Light went on to read the rest. "You think about him 24/7, have joined his school or club simply to get to know him and have probably planted cameras in his bedroom. You are a crazy stalker and someone should warn the poor boy." Light barely made it to the end before he burst out laughing. "Well you actually have done that, so you must really be a Crazy Stalker." Light put the laptop on L's bedside table and dived under the duvet to join him. "I'm pretty much obsessed with you too," he whispered as his lips found L's in the dark.

L could feel his cheeks burning, as he kissed back, he didn't know why he was so embarrassed, he'd already told Light that he loved him, that hadn't been this embarrassing, perhaps it was the website that made it seem so girly, or perhaps it was the way the description matched him perfectly. "I know," he whispered as Light broke away.  
"I love you, my crazy sugary shortcake stalker." Light whispered back.  
L growled at him. "You are not to call me that!"  
"Aw, why not it's cute." Light laughed, kissing the detective lightly on the nose.

*********************************************************************************************************

"Night." L whispered as he turned off the light in their room, snuggling against the teenager's body.  
"Night night, Sugary Stalker." Light replied.  
"Don't call me that!" begged the detective, poking the teen playfully in the chest.  
"Ok." Light replied, "Whatever you say, Crazy Shortcake." L hit him over the head with his pillow, starting a pillow fight which lasted until well after midnight.

**I am very sorry for taking so long with this chapter!  
****Hope you guys haven't given up on me!!!!**

**Reviews motivate me to work faster................. :D**


	15. 5th August 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 15 - 5th August 2004

Light woke up to a peculiar rustling noise coming from the corner of the room. He reached out to find L's side of the bed empty and although a vague warmth clung to the sheets, it was clear that L had been up for a while.  
"L?" Light whispered towards the rustling noise, "Is that you?"  
"Sorry Light-Kun, did I wake you?" The detective's soft voice relaxed the teenager instantly.  
"I don't mind," Light said climbing out of bed to join the older man, pulling the curtains open to allow the morning sunlight into their room, illuminating the pillows scattered here and there, revealing the upturned chair which he had tripped over chasing L around with a pillow last night, Light rubbed his knee; it was still sore. _Damn that'll be annoying._  
"What are you doing over there?" Light ventured over to join L in the corner of their room that was still dark.  
"Looking for _Mousetrap_." L replied.  
"I didn't know we had mice?"  
"Well, I think Near has one of them but it's ok, I replaced it with Mustard." L explained.  
"Mustard?" If it weren't for the pain in his knee Light would have been sure that this was some sort of bizarre dream.  
"Yes, for some reason I had two of them." L informed him, pulling boxes Light couldn't see properly out of a cupboard he hadn't noticed before.  
"Two of what?"  
"Mustard," L confirmed, head still buried in the strange cupboard. "I had one of everyone else but my set came with two Colonel Mustards. I didn't want to leave them both in the box in case it created some weird paradox and they cancelled each other out or something, so it worked out quite well that Near stole the yellow mouse."  
"L, are you talking about board games?" Light asked suspiciously.  
"Of course I am!" L looked round at Light waving _Monopoly_ at him. "What did you think I was talking about?"

L looked in confusion at his boyfriend, giggling mentally at the fact that Light was his boyfriend, he still hadn't quite got used to the idea that the teen actually found him attractive. It was so much harder to believe when Light stood in front of him like that, framed by sunlight from the window behind him, silhouetted in God-like perfection.  
"It doesn't matter," Light smiled, crouching down to join him. L ran his mind over the conversation.  
"Sorry Light-Kun, I can see how that wouldn't have made sense out of context. I really wanted to play Mousetrap, but I think Watari must have left it in England." L looked miserable as he looked up at the teen "Near's probably stolen the rest of the mice now."  
Light smiled, puling L into a tight hug, "Who's Near?" he asked, "Does everyone in England have weird names?"

*******************************************************************************

Light kissed L softly on the lips as they waited for the elevator which, along with every other floor was fitted with cameras. The few moments before the lift doors opened were always their last moments of intimacy until after work and both were keen to take advantage of them.

The lift arrived and all too soon the pair were greeting the rest of the task force and settling in for another day of pretending to work hard. L hated the charade; it was a waste of valuable time to sit in the big room full of people and cameras, time he would much rather spend alone with Light. L sighed as his computer screen flicked to life, he had been going through the same figures over and over again yesterday afternoon, and all he was planning to do today was repeat the action. He knew the figures had nothing to do with the case, they were figures he had pulled from a database of profit margins for a company called Angel Crepes. Watari had given him a few strange looks but ultimately hadn't bothered to comment, which was fortunate as L hadn't bothered to think up any reason for Angel Crepes' sales increase to have any relation to Kira's identity.

L sat hunched over his computer entering formulae into a spreadsheet, he was fully engrossed in the work he had invented; he would divide each of the companies yearly profits by the previous one and then multiply them by random numbers until they produced anything remotely interesting. It wasn't particularly fun work but it did give him something to do. He was just about to multiply the figure for 1998 by his date of birth when he felt an unfamiliar hand on his shoulder.  
"Misa-San, I am busy," he said without turning around.  
"But Misa Misa wants to help Ryuzaki-San," she whispered in his ear. "Please let Misa Misa help." L froze; the hand had disappeared form his shoulder and was now sliding up his leg.  
"Fine!" he snapped, "You can help by keeping your hands off of me and sorting these into chronological order." He thrust a random pile of papers at her, laughing to himself as the girl dropped them. _Stupid girl._ L looked around; it seemed that no one else had noticed the exchange, apart from Light who seemed to be busy glaring at his monitor, his knuckles white as he gripped his mouse angrily.

"L." The teen tried to keep his tone light, but did not entirely succeed in hiding his temper boiling just below the surface. "Could I have a word with you? In private."  
"Yes, of course Light-Kun." L climbed quickly out of his chair as Light dragged him from the room. The teenager stormed angrily over to the elevator and slammed the call button. L noticed his fists were still clenched tight and he was tapping his foot impatiently.

"You have to make her stop." Light demanded as soon as they reached the privacy of their floor. "I refuse to sit and watch whilst she touches you." _You are mine, I won't share._

"But how?" L asked, completely unsure what he was going to do now. _Does Light blame me? I did put the idea in her head, but he has to know I don't want this. Doesn't he?_

"I don't know," Light replied, "you could tell her you aren't interested, but she obviously knows that and she doesn't want you to be interested, she just wants me to be jealous……" Light trailed off as he realised the conclusion he'd been working towards. "No. There must be another way."  
"What were you going to say?" L asked nervously.  
"It doesn't matter, it's not an option." Light said, still sounding angry.

"Light-Kun" L said softly, "Calm down now, please?" L pressed his lips softly to the teen's, pulling him close and wrapping his arms around him. Light found himself relaxing, L's kiss had driven out all thoughts of Misa and Light kissed back, noticing that this time L didn't pull away when he deepened the kiss.

L felt a jolt of fear as Light pushed him against the wall, but it was soon replaced by excitement, see his mind told him _This isn't so bad. You like it. And if you keep pulling away from him he might give up…_. L gave in, allowing the teen to kiss him fully. Light's hands ran over his chest and L moaned lightly as the teen pressed their bodies together.

L's soft moan brought Light back to the real world, he'd been so lost in the feeling that he'd forgotten everyone waiting for them downstairs, and he knew he shouldn't push L too much, this was enough of a step forward. He pulled back slightly. "L, we should go back now." he said softly, leaning in for one last kiss before he pushed the call button for the elevator.

********************************************************************************

_God I hate Watari!_ Light thought angrily as he moved his bishop into position, ready to take L's rook on his next turn. Watari had insisted that L and Light spend some time on Misa's floor with her and the teen had been surprised at how readily L had agreed with him. L had brought a few board games with them and was currently lying on the floor opposite him. Misa had positioned herself on L's side of the chess board and over the last three hours that they had been playing she had already made several attempts to kidnap both queens, claiming they needed makeovers.

L moved a pawn forward; he didn't care about the rook. He knew he was going to lose. Not only did he keep getting distracted by Light's elegant movements across the chess board, but he also had to focus on his plan. He'd worked out what Light had been thinking before; that the only way to ensure that Misa backed off would be to pretend that he was interested in her. He knew that Light was trying to think of some other way but it was clear to him that there was no alternative, and that Light couldn't know what he was up to. He took the opportunity to put the plan into action as Light focused on the chess board. Nervously, yet quite determinedly he moved his hand towards Misa's, taking it in his. It felt wrong to be holding her hand but L knew that he had to do it. Light was sure to get angry in public if Misa continued and there was always the added bonus of the cameras. Watari would definitely be watching this and it would be useful for him to believe that L was interested in the young model.

The girl turned to look at him, eyes wide in surprise. He was torn between laughing and shouting at her, but he had to keep up the pretence; he winked and flashed a quick grin at her. Misa simply stared back at him in shock, eventually turning to look at Light, and then worriedly back to L's hand which was still placed over hers.

Light glanced up as he took L's rook and for a moment he was sure he had seen L holding Misa's hand, _God I'm paranoid! She had probably stolen one of the chess pieces again; L was probably trying to get it back._ Light hoped his worries hadn't shown in his expression. He quickly flashed L a winning smile, waving the fallen rook at him.

L waited until Light looked back down to the board before placing his arm around Misa's waist and leaning towards her. She looked up at him again, looking utterly terrified before jumping up as if she'd been stung.

"Light-Kun!" she screeched, "I told you that Ryuzaki was a pervert."  
"I remember." Light replied uninterestedly, he was busy focusing on the board.  
"You don't believe me but he is!" she insisted.  
"Okay," he said. _What is she on about now?_ Light, suddenly noticing that his queen was slowly becoming surrounded by L's pieces reached out to move her to safety, but by the time his fingers reached the queen, she was lying on Misa's carpet, having fallen off of the chess board as Misa had kicked it over. "What the hell did you do that for?!" he yelled at her.  
"You care about the stupid game more than you care about me?! You are supposed to be my boyfriend! You only ever spent time with the Ryuzaki pervert and when you do see me you ignore me!" Misa screamed at him. "Just go away, and take the pervert with you!" she shouted, turning on her heel and storming over to her bedroom, leaving a confused Light and an ever so slightly guilty L sitting on the living room floor.

"What do you reckon that was about?" Light asked L, having paid absolutely no attention to Misa's screaming.  
"I don't know." L lied, feeling terrible. _He's going to be so angry if he finds out!_ "Let's just go back to our floor now."

Back on their own floor, in their own living room area, Light spent the evening playing Cluedo with L; although he was sure he had no hope of winning. After all he was playing against the world's greatest detective…..

**I'm really sorry that this has taken so long!!! I'll do my very best to update more often!  
****In the meantime - reviews are greatly appreciated :D**


	16. 6th August 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 16 - 6th August 2004

'What should I do now? I tried flirting with another guy but my boyfriend didn't seem to notice and the other guy came onto me! He is such a pervert! '

L closed the browser quickly, glancing over at the sleeping teenager beside him. He'd forgotten about Misa's chat thread. All it would take would be for Light to have a look on the website and he would know what L had done. _You are such an idiot L! he told himself angrily you've probably ruined everything now, unless……_

L knew it was illegal but it was necessary. A few minutes later he entered the site's address one last time to make sure it had worked.

**The page cannot be found**

_Good._ L relaxed slightly, he did feel bad about using his powers as L to delete the entire website but at least Light would never know what he had done. He deleted all traces of the process from his laptop and curled up beside the teenager. _There is a 96.7% chance that I've got away with it..._

Light reluctantly woke up a few hours later, he'd been dreaming about L again, and he'd been enjoying it, although with the detective lying beside him, their bodies only separated by their pyjama bottoms, he had to admit reality was pretty good too these days. He smiled to himself, unsure if L was asleep and not wanting to risk waking him. He thought back to before he'd known how L felt about him, It was hard to believe that they'd only been together for a few days; everything just felt so right with L. Light remembered how L had kissed him yesterday, he'd seemed to be more confident, less nervous. Light felt bad for thinking it but he wondered when L would allow him to go beyond kissing. Perhaps he was just being a hormonal teenager but it was starting to get to him, there was no way he was going to rush L into anything he didn't want, but surely L wouldn't keep him waiting too long, or maybe he would, Light was well aware of how shy the detective could be at times. He sighed and tried to focus his mind on something else, catching Kira perhaps.

"Light, you awake?" L whispered softly.  
"Yeah, you?" Light replied rolling over slightly to kiss the top of L's head.  
"Obviously." L sat up and ran his fingers through his messy black hair. _Maybe I should tell him what I did?_ L wondered silently then he remembered Light's unpredictable temper, _No, probably best not. It's not a big deal or anything, I'd never lie to him about something important. _  
"Good morning to you too." Light snapped as he sat up beside the older man. _Act normal, act normal!_ L commanded himself.  
"Sorry Light-Kun, I didn't sleep well." _Was that another lie? I need to practise this 'truth' business._ "Good morning." he added quickly.

_He never sleeps well, there's definitely something up with him this morning._ Light followed as L climbed out of bed and headed for their showers,  
"Don't I even get a kiss?" he asked, slightly suspiciously as L climbed straight into his shower cubicle. L didn't reply.

* * *

_Dammit, I've been lying all my life, it's never made me feel this guilty before._ L thought angrily to himself as he and Light waited for the elevator in an awkward silence. He could tell he'd hurt Light with his attitude this morning but he wasn't sure how to behave normally around the teen, knowing that he'd betrayed his trust like that.

Light reached out to take L's hand as they waited, he had no idea what was wrong with the detective, he'd been acting strangely all morning. _Doesn't he like me anymore? Did I do something wrong?_ L took Light's hand but didn't look at the teenager, letting go the moment the doors opened.

"Good morning," Light greeted the task force as he walked into their main work area.  
"Light," His father stepped forward, placing a hand on the teens shoulder, concern evident on his face. "There's something you need to see." Light glanced anxiously around the room, nothing seemed out of place, Watari was smiling and looking little suspicious, but Light had come to accept this as the old man's normal state of being.

Soichiro led Light into the next room, throwing L the occasional dirty look. _What on earth is going on?_ L wondered as he followed the pair into the next room. _I thought Yagami-San liked me? _  
"I'm sorry son," Soichiro Yagami began, "Watari showed me this video this morning." _Oh No!_ L suddenly realised what was going on, but it was too late, The video had started, showing Misa's room last night.  
"What's going on Dad?" Light asked, sounding a little worried.  
"I'm afraid L is not a very good friend for you." Soichiro cast another disgusted glance in the detective's direction. "It appears that he has been making somewhat improper advances towards your girlfriend."  
L watched Light's face in terror as the screen showed him placing his hand over the girl's. He backed away into the shadows, pressing himself against the wall. He wished he could just disappear.

Light didn't know what to think, he blinked back tears as he watched his boyfriend openly flirt with his girlfriend, only inches from him. _Well that explains why he's been so off with me this morning, but why? Why would he do this to me?_ He turned to glare at the detective.  
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" He shouted, noticing his father backing out of the room, he wasn't surprised. Soichiro Yagami had always found his son's temper a little disturbing.

"I'm sorry Light, it was the only thing I could do, you know she wouldn't have left me alone otherwise." L said desperately  
"SO YOU JUST WENT BEHIND MY BACK? YOU LIED TO ME?" Light yelled at the detective, then leaning in to whisper in L's ear "Or maybe you liked it? Is that why you don't want to touch me anymore? Am I not feminine enough for you?!"  
"Don't be absurd Light-Kun!" L said aloud.  
"Oh so now I'm absurd?" the teen yelled back. "What am I supposed to think?" Light slammed his fist into the wall beside L's head before turning on his heel and storming out of the room.

L froze in shock as the wall cracked slightly, only having a few seconds to blink in surprise before he was pulled forward by the handcuffs and stumbled out of the room. Light dragged him over to the lift again. Slamming the office door as he stomped through it, L winced as the chain between them made a sickening crunching sound against the door frame. Moments later his face made a similar sound as it crashed into the door.

Light came to an abrupt stop as the chain went taut. _Bloody detective, what the fuck is he doing now?!_ Light turned around and stormed back towards the door he had just slammed, pulling it open to find the detective passed out on the floor, Watari kneeling over him. _Oh my god! Have I killed him?_ "L?" he called desperately. Watari glared up at him, his eyes full of accusation.

Light bent down and picked L up in his arms. "I'm so sorry L, I didn't mean to hurt you." he whispered as he turned and carried the unconscious man towards the lift, feeling the task force's stares boring into his back.  
"Um Light? Shouldn't we call an ambulance or something?" Matsuda shouted after him.  
"NO. IT'S MY FAULT. I'LL MAKE HIM BETTER." Light yelled back.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry L." The detective came round to Light's pained voice somewhere to his left. "Why did you do it? Why didn't you just tell me what you were planning? I love you, I love you so much L, I just, I guess I overreacted slightly but it just hurt so much. L! wake up already, I'm sorry."

L felt something cold and wet being placed on his forehead and frowned at the unwanted sensation, the movement sending pain shooting through his forehead.  
"Ow." he moaned reaching out to remove the cold item. He picked it up between his thumb and forefinger; it was a damp cloth of some sort.  
"L?" Light rushed to his bedside. "L? You're ok?"  
"Ok?" L repeated, unsure. "What happened?"  
Light took the wet cloth from him and placed it back on his forehead. "I'm sorry, I, I pulled you into a door."  
L giggled. "Silly Light-Kun." L tried to get rid of the wet thing again. "I'm sorry, about the Misa thing. I probably should have told you, but at least it's done now." L pouted as Light forced his hand away from the wet thing.  
"It doesn't matter." Light told him, "just please don't lie to me again? I can't deal with that." Light leant down to kiss L lightly on the lips. "Just let me take care of you now. I never wanted to hurt you."

"You know this reminds me of that first kiss." L smiled at Light, "With the chocolate and icecream?" L looked up at Light as the teen stroked his hair.  
"Very subtle." Light said, standing up and heading across the room, "actually I've already got it covered." Light smiled at him, "Back in a minute."

Light ran over to the fridge-freezer he'd moved into their room and got out the same dessert he'd made L the day they moved in. I wonder if L will mind that I rearranged the furniture. He'd dragged a bed into the kitchen from one of the spare rooms earlier in the day, having needed somewhere to put L whilst he cooked. He'd also been hoping that the smell of strawberries might wake him up.

Light checked his watch, it was already early evening. _L must be starving! He hasn't eaten all day!_ He grabbed a tub of ice-cream from the freezer and a pack of strawberry laces that he'd found hidden at the back of a cupboard in the kitchen.

Light looked disapprovingly at L as he turned back to face their bed, the detective had once again removed the cloth from his forehead and judging by his guilty smile hidden it somewhere. Light decided that finding it was probably more effort than it was worth.

"Aha! It's the meringue thing again isn't it?!" L grinned, sitting up in bed. "Are you going to feed me?" _Um, hang on, where is my shirt?_  
"That was the plan. I guessed you'd be hungry." Light sat on the edge of the bed, and held out a spoonful of the desert.  
" Light-Kun," L asked suspiciously "did you undress me?"  
"Don't worry, I just took your shirt off," Light proffered the spoon once again "you bled on it."  
"blood?" L asked sounding panicked. "I was bleeding?!"  
"Not much." Light soothed, "Now do you want this or not?" He pushed the spoon towards L once again.  
"Of course I do." L stuck his tongue out at Light and leant forward to claim the spoonful.

"I love the way you eat." Light said as he watched L's tongue dart out to catch the ice-cream dripping down his chin.  
"The way I eat?" L looked suspiciously at the teenager. "Why?"  
"It's hot." Light admitted, turning red and refusing to meet the detective's gaze.  
"Hot? No, It is definitely cold, hot ice-cream would just be silly." L laughed at him, pretending not to understand what Light was getting at.  
"No, I mean that **you** are hot." Light looked up again, wondering what L was thinking.  
"I am sure you are quite mistaken Light-Kun." L told him sternly, his cheeks a light pink. "I am no such thing, I am skinny and pale, I have no fashion sense whatsoever and I can't even stand up straight…." Light cut the detective off with a kiss.

Light ran his fingers through L's hair as he pressed him against the padded headboard, crushing their bodies together as he climbed over to straddle the detective. He kissed L slowly and deeply, trying to show L just how much he meant to him, just how hot he really was.  
"Nevertheless," He murmured between kisses, "You are hot."  
L pushed Light away slightly "Light-Kun, you know full well that I am not. I am an egocentric recluse with an oral fixation!"  
"Really?" Light purred in his ear, "And you say you aren't hot." The teen licked L's earlobe softly.  
"Not like that!" L pushed Light away and stared at him in horror, "I just meant, you know, how I chew on my thumb and suck lollipops and things."  
"I like the sound of that!" Light grinned at him, laughing now. " I know what you meant L, but you have to admit, it is kinda sexy."

L wasn't sure he dared to believe this, Light actually thought him sexy? L had never thought of himself as good looking. _Perhaps Light should see a doctor. There must be something wrong with his eyesight._ L closed his eyes as Light's lips claimed his once again, he slid down to lie beneath the teen, moaning involuntarily as Light's fingers brushed over his nipples, tracing patterns over his chest. L tried to imitate the action, running his fingers over Light's body, tugging at his shirt until Light broke away hastily to remove it.

Light gazed nervously down at the man beneath him. L was beautiful. His pale skin perfectly clear. _Except for that._ Light felt a pang of guilt as he examined the cuts and bruises on L's forehead. _I can't believe I did that to him, and yet, he's still here, he still wants me._ Light's eyes trailed down the detective's body, _I guess this is the furthest we've gone really; topless and touching each other like this, am I rushing him? Am I rushing myself? Are we going to fast?_

L wriggled uncomfortably, he wasn't used to being examined like this and it was rather unsettling. He wrapped his arms around the teen and tugged gently, trying to persuade Light to lean over and kiss him again.  
"L, are you sure?" Light asked, and L noticed a hint of anxiety in the teen's voice.  
"Sure about what Light-Kun?" L said softly wondering what was worrying him.  
"This, Us, Me. I don't know what I'm doing or anything and I mean, maybe, am I rushing you at all?" Light hugged L as he asked.  
"No. I like this; I am 100% sure about you, about us." L kissed Light's neck softly. "But we can just take it slowly right? I know you aren't that much more experienced than I am in these areas and it's okay if you're scared Light-Kun."

Light sat up abruptly. "Scared?" he asked in surprise. "I'm not scared. I just don't want to rush this. I am **not** scared." L smiled slightly,_ he's just as terrified as I am!_  
"Oh, well in that case can you please continue with what you were doing?" L pulled the teen back down on top of him and into a gentle kiss. _I keep forgetting that he's so young. He always seems so confident. _

Light deepened the kiss instantly, _Scared?! L thinks I'm scared?!_ He moved down the older man's body, trailing kisses down his neck until he reached L's nipples, encircling one between his fingers and teasing at the other with his tongue. _I'll show him I'm not scared……._

**I told you I'd try and upload them more often........Reviews are very motivational........;)**


	17. 7th August 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 17 - 7th August 2004

L sat up in bed, careful not to disturb Light from his sleep. He looked down at the teen curiously, wondering if he was dreaming again; dreaming about him. L knew that Light wanted to go further with him, even if he was nervous about it. He supposed he probably wouldn't be averse to progressing their relationship physically, after all scientifically it should be a very pleasant experience but he did worry that he'd be rubbish at it and completely fail to live up to the teen's expectations, perhaps it was better for Light to keep dreaming, L was less likely to disappoint him there.

He let his mind wonder back to his conversation with Light yesterday, _He really thinks I am sexy?_ L was still undecided as to whether or not the teen needed glasses. He was sure that there was something wrong with the teen's perceptions, _a psychological fault perhaps?_ Whatever it was, L was not going to complain about it, although he did wonder if that was slightly selfish, if Light was under a false impression that L was good looking was it wrong not to set him straight? He giggled to himself; no, he definitely did not want Light 'straight'.

L checked the time, it was still too early for most people to be up; he flipped open his cell phone.

"Hey Mel, can I talk to Matt please?."  
"No L, you can talk to me." Mello sounded upset.  
"What's wrong?" L asked him, wondering if they'd been fighting again,  
"Why won't you talk to me about this guy you like?" _Damn Matt._ L silently cursed the redhead, _Does he really have to tell Mello everything?! _  
"Matt's just a little more mature about these things"  
"Boring you mean. Anyway, Matt said you'd slept with this guy? I gotta say L, that's fast work even for you."  
"I have not…." L trailed off. "You know, done anything with him." L admitted fiddling with the wrapper of the strawberry cream he was opening.  
"Oh really?" Mello replied sarcastically.  
"I'm serious; you know I don't know what I'm doing in this situation. Just because you two are far too advanced for teenagers doesn't mean I am." Mello just laughed at him.  
"Perhaps we got your sex-drive and you got our boringness quota?" he suggested.  
"I would say that is unlikely."  
"Okay, look what did you want to talk to Matt about anyway?"  
"I just wanted to let him know that I took his advice and sorted it out."  
"With the guy? So you're like official now?"  
"I guess so, it's a secret though, Watari would not approve. He is suspicious already."  
Mello laughed again. "Oh come on, me and Matt kept it from him for years, are you really that obvious?"  
"Stop pointing out my inadequacies!" L hissed, popping the sweet into his mouth.  
"Aha." Mello deduced "You are feeling inadequate. Is that why you haven't had sex with him yet?"

Light woke up to the sound of L choking.

"Are you okay L?" he asked, scrambling upright and thumping the detective on the back, dislodging the sweet from his throat.  
"Yes, I'm okay now, thank you Light-Kun." L coughed a little and picked his phone up from where he had dropped it on his lap, well aware of the teen watching him.

Light watched curiously as L said a hasty goodbye to someone on the phone. _Bit early for a phone call isn't it?_ Light wondered if L would tell him who he'd been talking to and why he had nearly choked to death in the process.

"Light-Kun?" the detective asked nervously, looking up from his computer screen.  
"Yes L?"  
"You are staring at me like you are trying to work out my haemoglobin count from the colour in my face. Why?"  
"I really doubt that is possible, I was just wondering if you are ok now."  
"OK? When wasn't I? Oh you mean my head? It's still sore but it's fine really." L grinned at him. "It takes more than a door to harm me."  
"Um, that is good I suppose, but I was actually referring to your throat, you were choking on a chocolate when I woke up this morning..." Light trailed off, realising that L had probably known what he'd meant but didn't want to tell him about it. _I have to know who he was talking to. Although I guess maybe he doesn't want to tell me in front of everyone else._  
"Oh, I'm fine now. The person I was talking to said something that rather took me by surprise."

L noticed Light's expression waver, have I done something wrong? Why is he upset? He can't be that concerned because I choked on a sweet....  
"Light-Kun?" L pulled a lollipop out of his pocket and after rubbing a bit of fluff off it with his thumb, offered it to the teen. "I'm sorry Light-Kun; I didn't know that you wanted the last strawberry cream, I promise you can have some when Watari gets me some more."

"Strawberry Cream?" _Is everything about Strawberry Creams with L? Does he really think that is the problem? Unlikely, I guess that just means he doesn't want to tell me who he was talking to; maybe I can find out some other way..._ Light shook his head, "No thanks." he smiled at the detective as the dark haired man tentatively licked the lollipop, Light didn't think he would ever get used to the way L ate. Not that he minded in the least, although it did have an annoying tendency to mess around with his hormones, which was definitely not helpful when he was supposed to concentrating on catching a mass murderer and clearing his name.  
Blushing slightly Light returned his gaze to his computer screen and tried to focus on finding patterns in the latest killings.

The task force worked in relative silence for a few hours until Misa came bounding in around midday, dragging Matsuda behind her. L glanced in the girl's direction, immediately deducing that he wound need more sugar in his bloodstream if he was going to put up with her. He stood up and headed for the coffee table in the centre of the room.

"Hello everyone." Misa beamed at them all "Light! I made us some lunch!" she walked cheerfully over to the teen, sitting down in the empty chair beside him. Light sighed; clearly she had given up on making him jealous. _Oh no, that means she is going to be all over me again_. Light watched suspiciously as she pulled a couple of plastic boxes out of her bag. "Look Light! I made us little prawn cocktails!"

L picked up a plateful of cupcakes, "Light-Kun does not like prawns," he stated simply as he turned back to face the couple. "And you are sitting in my chair Misa-San." _and you have your filthy paws all over him again! _

"It doesn't have your name on it!" she snapped at him. "And of course Light likes prawns!" She turned to glare at her boyfriend. "Don't you?"  
Light wasn't sure that there was a diplomatic solution to this one, he tensed as she wrapped her arm around him "Um, well actually Misa I…"  
"See!" Misa spoke over him, discreetly pinching Light's arm to shut him up. "Light loves prawns!" _What?! I do not! And that hurt! Evil woman. _Light was finding it very hard not to tell Misa how he really felt, and not just about the prawns!  
"Whatever," L shrugged "You can move now Misa-San."  
"What? Why should I move? Light is my boyfriend and he wants to sit next to me."  
Light watched as L's eyes flashed angrily. _Is he really that possessive over a chair? Or is it really about me?_

"I was sitting there first." L walked over to the chair and tipped it up, causing Misa to tumble forward onto the carpet, her skirt rising enough to give L and Light a good view of her underwear.

L burst out laughing "Pink daisies?" he snorted. "How gothic."  
"You are a pervert!" Misa screamed at him as she scrambled to her feet. "Why do you want to sit with Light anyway? Are you sure you aren't gay?"

L felt the heat rising in his cheeks; the whole task force was staring at him suspiciously. Watari looked as if he might explode any second. L didn't think that it could get any worse.

"Hang on," the girl continued, "you can't be gay Ryuzaki! You flirted with me, so that must mean that you are bisexual." Light could see that the detective was completely stunned by Misa's accusations. He was tempted to yell at her that yes L is gay thank you very much and so am I. But he was fairly sure Watari would probably kill them both, so instead he marched over to his 'girlfriend'.  
"Don't be so ridiculous Misa. L only wants to sit with me because of the handcuffs."  
"And because he fancies you" she added, refusing to back down.  
"I don't really think he does Misa." Light noticed the way Watari's face brightened, he was obviously relieved that Light had so far failed to corrupt the detective.

"I like prawns Misa Misa." Matsuda broke the uncomfortable silence. Light rolled his eyes and turned back to look at L, who was sitting angrily in the chair he had just pushed Misa out of.  
"You can eat mine if you'd like." he said "I don't think I want it now."  
"Wow. Thanks Light!"  
The teen just shrugged and paused by L's chair. "Do you want to go out for some lunch?" he suggested, guessing that L needed some time away from the task force to calm down.

"That sounds like a great idea Light-Kun." L climbed off his chair and the two headed towards the lift.

* * *

L relaxed a little as he and Light walked down the street hand in hand. It was nice to get away.  
"L, who were you talking to this morning?" Light asked, hoping that a straightforward question would be rewarded by a straightforward answer.  
"Oh, um." L seemed uncertain. "I guess he's family, of a sort." _Family? I thought L didn't have any family..._  
"Was it the kid with the goggles again?" Light asked.  
"No, it wasn't..." L trailed off and turned to stare at the teen, "How do you know about him?"  
Light hesitated; he'd forgotten that he'd been pretending to sleep when L had been video calling the redhead. "I, well, I woke up while you were talking on webcam the other day. Sorry."  
"Oh, it doesn't matter really. It's just that I'm not really supposed to say anything about them. It all depends on whether you really are Kira I guess."  
"You still think I am?!" Light was surprised, he had sort of assumed that L had cleared him and was just waiting on proof.  
"Well, I can't really let my personal feelings interfere. You are still the most likely suspect."  
"So you can't talk to me about your family? I guess I understand." Light tried to look too disappointed.  
"No, I suppose I can tell you a bit." L began "The one with the goggles is Matt, and the one I was talking to this morning is Mello, and then there is Near, I think I mentioned him the other day."  
"The one who stole your yellow mouse?"  
"Yes, they live in England, they are my little brothers in a way." L smiled as he thought of home.  
"So, Mello? What did he say that made you choke on your strawberry cream?" Light watched as L turned bright red.  
"Um, it's an English thing, you wouldn't get it," he said hastily, staring at his feet.  
"L, you could just say that you don't want to tell me." Light said, slightly annoyed that L was lying to him again.  
"Sorry, Light-Kun, we were talking about um, relationships." _Oh,_ Light ginned at him, _L must have told them about us._  
"I see, did you want to go to the same cafe again?"  
"Yes," L smiled back at the teen. "'Chocolate-strawberry extravaganza?"  
"I think I'd like some normal food today." Light laughed at him as they turned the corner towards the café.

* * *

Light followed L to the same table as before, smiling as L immediately opened the menu to the back. "Have you ever eaten a normal meal in your life?" the teen asked him, genuinely curious.  
"Yes. I did not enjoy it." L replied and Light watched his eyes narrow at the memory. "I like sweets and fruit." L continued. "And coffee."  
Light laughed. "You don't drink coffee, you drink coffee favoured sugar,"  
"Well, then I like sweets, fruit and coffee flavoured sugar." L smiled at him and Light frowned back.  
"That really isn't a healthy diet L, can't you just try a proper meal again?"  
"No," the detective shook his head stubbornly as the waiter arrived to take their orders. "I'll have a knickerbocker glory please, and a large strawberry milkshake."

L grinned triumphantly back at Light as the teen ordered a cheeseburger and a coke, but he was alarmed to find that Light was grinning back, looking determined and calculating. Is he planning something?

* * *

L stomped into the Kira investigation headquarters, annoyed that Light had stopped him from ordering a second desert. _So what if I'll be miserable tomorrow, I want the sugar now._ L tugged on the chain, causing Light to stumble in the doorway behind him.

Light almost wished he had let the detective get overly hyper on sugar again, at least that way he could put off the tantrum until tomorrow. _I swear it's like dating a toddler._ Light shook his head as L dragged him into the lift. _I am going to have to find a way to make him eat properly._

As soon as the lift doors opened L stomped out, bumping into Watari in the process.  
"L, about what Misa said this morning," the old man began, "I just wanted to make sure that her accusations are unfounded."  
"What?!" L snapped at him. "Of course they are." _She said I was bisexual which is completely untrue._  
"It's just that we already know how Yagami-Kun feels about the matter," Watari continued, casting a dirty look at the teen "I just wanted to be clear on your feelings." _This doesn't sound like Watari_, L thought, somewhat confused. _He wants to know how I feel about Light?_ "I wouldn't want you to feel trapped in an awkward situation, I know you hate changing your mind but you can take off the handcuffs; in light of Misa's accusations nobody would think any less of you." _Ah, I see._  
"No." L replied confidently. "I am sure I can cope. Thank you for your concern Watari." L made to continue down the corridor, surprised when the chain went taut. "Light-Kun we are going now." he said pointedly without turning back.

"In a minute." the teen replied, his voice full of venom. L whirled around to face him. _He can't still be that angry because of the sugar. _  
"Watari!" L shouted. "Let go of Light-Kun right now." He marched over to where his mentor had pinned the teen against the wall threateningly, and pulled him away.  
"Make sure you do," the elderly man spat at Light before turning and walking briskly away, leaving L staring after him in confusion.  
"What was all that about?!" L asked Light "are you ok?"  
"I'm fine. He was just giving me a rather graphic account of what would happen to me if I were to lay so much as a finger on you. It doesn't really sound very appealing."

As soon as L and Light stepped out of the elevator and onto the privacy of their floor the detective turned to face Light. "You aren't going to listen to Watari are you?" he demanded, taking the teen's hand in his.  
Light laughed, "Is that what you've been worrying about all afternoon?" He pulled L against him. "Of course I'm not going to listen to him; it would take far more than gruesome death threats to stop me. I love you L, you do know that don't you?"  
L blushed. "Yes, I know. I don't understand it and there is a 93.4% chance that you are actually insane but yes I…." L didn't get to finish his sentence as Light crushed him against the wall and brought their lips together in a hard kiss. L closed his eyes and melted into it, kissing back hungrily. Kissing Light was heaven. L gasped in surprise and delight as Light's hand slipped under his shirt and began teasing his nipple. He locked his own arms around the teen, enjoying the moment.

Light trailed his hand slowly down L's chest, until he reached the waistband of L's jeans, _now it's time to show him that I am definitely not afraid to take this further._ After a moments pause Light deepened this kiss still further as he began to work on the button of L's jeans. _Okay, maybe I am a little bit, but he doesn't need to know that._ Light thought to himself as he fumbled with the button, _Damn, is this thing super-glued or am I just that nervous?_

L didn't realise at first what the teen had in mind, he was too wrapped up in the kiss, he registered the mild disappointment as Light's hand abandoned his nipple, but he was quickly distracted by Light's intensified kiss. _Oh my god! What is he doing?!_ L felt small ripples of anticipation and arousal as Light fumbled with the button on his jeans. _He seems to be having trouble with it, I bet he's just as scared as I am, or maybe, does he want me to do something?_  
L moved his hands to the teen's hips, hooking his thumbs into the waistband of Light's trousers and sliding them around to the front causing Light to moan softly as he started to undo the first button.

Light broke away from the kiss, "Perhaps we should continue this in our bedroom, you feel like you're about to collapse." _So do I for that matter._

"Yes. That sounds great." L replied as he turned to hurry down the corridor to their bedroom. He hadn't noticed that Light had succeeded in undoing his jeans and was very surprised when they slid down, catching around his ankles and tripping him up. _Well there is no way he's going to think I'm sexy after this._ L felt himself turning bright red as Light burst out laughing behind him.

**Thanks for waiting patiently.....I know this chapter took forever - Sorry!  
****Please review - I really want to know what you think and it will hopefully make me write faster......**


	18. 8th August 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 18 - 8th August 2004

L let his body relax as he stood under the hot water in his glass shower cubicle. He replayed last night in his mind, trying to memorise exactly how wonderful it had been. Light had seen him naked. L blushed again at the memory, he was still certain that there was something wrong with the teen's eyes. Light had picked him up from the floor after he'd tripped up and carried him back to their room, leaving L's jeans lying in the corridor. L made a mental note to pick them up, he was pretty sure that there was still half a stick of rock in his left pocket. He returned his attention to what had happened, wanting to make sure he remembered every detail. Light had lay him softly on the bed and pulled off his shirt, leaving L in only his simple white boxers. L knew his face had been bright red as Light had climbed over him and removed his own shirt, all the while looking at L as if he were the most beautiful person in the world. L couldn't quite remember the exact sequence of things after that, he and Light had been kissing. His hands had been moving over Light's body without bothering to consult his brain. He remembered pulling the teen down on top of him, their hips meeting. That was when L had suddenly become very aware of his own arousal straining against the soft cotton of his boxer shorts. Clearly Light's attention had been drawn to the same thing as he'd suddenly intensified the kisses and moaned loudly as he'd pressed against L with his own erection. L found himself becoming excited again at the memory, Light had felt huge. He was a little disappointed that he hadn't had a chance to see the teen naked; it was a slightly unfair really, not to mention embarrassing. Light had completely dominated the situation. L remembered struggling to form coherent sentences with his thoughts as Light's hands had slipped under his boxers and around his aching cock. L remembered how Light had stroked him, a little harder and more roughly than he usually touched himself. L had reached down to try and get his hands under Light's trousers but the teen had pushed them away, breaking off the kiss and looking down at L hungrily. He'd grinned seductively but L had noticed the nervousness behind the smile.

"Light," he'd moaned breathlessly as the teen's hands slowed. "Please, let me." he tried again to get at Light's trousers.

"No." the teen had whispered back, moving slowly down L's body and running his tongue over L's arousal. L had tried to protest, he'd really wanted a chance to touch Light this way, he wasn't sure he liked being dominated so completely. He'd been about to tell the teen to stop and take things a little slower but he hadn't had a chance to get the words out before Light had wrapped his lips around him. After that any thoughts of stopping had gone straight out the window, L had been in heaven.

Light closed his eyes as the hot water ran over his body, remembering the way L had tasted. It had been so much better than anything he had ever fantasised about. He wasn't sure he'd done it quite right, it had definitely felt a bit strange, taking L's perfect cock into his mouth. But it had been a good kind of strange. He'd struggled a bit, trying to get L's whole length inside but in the end he'd given up and focused on moving his lips and tongue over what he could reach. He'd been a little worried at first but the noises L had made had been reassurance enough and Light had easily found what seemed to be a good rhythm. He licked his lips as he remembered how L had come in his mouth, it had taken him by surprise but he would be sure to do better next time. He had to admit he was rather pleased with himself. Light just hoped the detective wasn't going to insist on doing anything similar to him any time soon. As much as he wanted to, he really didn't know if he was ready for that. But of course there was no need to let L suspect that he was nervous.

Light turned off the water. "You done L?" he called as he wrapped his towel around his waist.

"Yes Light-Kun." L stepped out of his cubicle, he'd been blushing all morning and Light suspected that had something to do with last night. He kissed he detective softly on the cheek

"You'd better stop blushing before we go downstairs." He laughed, causing the detective to turn even redder. "Breakfast?"

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea." L smiled and Light hoped that breakfast would be enough to stop him thinking about what they had done together, the last thing he needed was for Watari to notice. He should probably give L something else to think about and fortunately he had just the thing.

"What are you grinning about?" L demanded as Light led him into the kitchen.

"Well." Light hesitated. "I've decided to make you breakfast."

"Breakfast?" L repeated suspiciously. "I am capable of getting my own chocolate out of the cupboard."

"But you aren't having chocolate for breakfast this morning." Light smiled at him. "I'm going to make you a full English breakfast, I know you miss England and I really want to cook for you."

L glared at the teen. "Light-Kun. I do not miss English food. I don't eat any differently when I am there." L sighed as Light looked pleadingly at him.

"You wouldn't want to hurt my feelings?" the teen mumbled, lowering his gaze to the floor.

"But Light-Kun, you are only doing this to make me eat things I don't like!" L pouted.

"Please." Light begged, wrapping his arms around the detective. "I love you L. I don't want you getting ill." Light dragged L away from the chocolate cupboard and pulled open the fridge. "How many eggs do you want?"

"None" L struggled to get back to the cupboard.

"Okay you can have two eggs." Light pulled L back into his arms. "How many sausages?"

"I don't want any!" the detective insisted.

"Right. Three sausages it is." Light reached for the frying pan on the hob.

"Haha." L lunged for it and threw the frying pan across the room. "Oh no Light-Kun. Now you can't cook breakfast." he grinned.

* * *

Three hours later L was still sulking. He wanted Light to apologise for ruining his morning but that didn't look like it was going to happen as Light was being very unreasonable and sulking as well. Apparently he was offended that L hadn't eaten any of the food. Apparently L should at least have tried some. Apparently Light was worried about his health. L looked up from his toes to glare at the teen. Surely the one sure fire way to get ill was not to have any breakfast at all. L's stomach rumbled. He wished he had remembered to retrieve the candy from his jeans pocket. It was Light's fault for making him forget about it.

"Watari!" he called. "Please can you bring me a selection of cakes and a box of strawberry creams?" L smirked to himself; if Light was going to mess with his intake of sugar when they were alone, he was simply going to have to eat more when they weren't.

L licked his lips in anticipation as Watari placed the tray of cakes beside him, along with the chocolates. "Thank you." He picked up a chocolate chip muffin and bit into it delicately, savouring the sweetness of it. He closed his eyes and smiled to himself as he imagined Light's face.

"Ryuzaki." L opened his eyes in annoyance._Trust Misa to ruin my muffin. _He glared at her, she was much too close, sitting beside him and leaning in to whisper in his ear. "Ryuzaki? What happened between you and Light?"

"What are you referring to Misa-San?" L tried very hard to control his tone, _how does she know what we did last night? _

"Well Light is mad at you and you are acting even weirder than usual." Misa whispered.

"What makes you think that Light-Kun is mad at me?" L demanded. "Light-Kun has no reason to be mad."

"Well, he is in a bad mood, he won't even kiss me. What did you do?" Misa hissed.

"What makes you think it is my fault?" L snapped "Maybe Light-Kun does not want to kiss you."

"Well, he's been glaring at you all morning; he just told me that you are stupid and childish." Misa paused. "And he is eating one of your cakes."

"What?!" L nearly dropped his muffin on the floor, "Light-Kun?" He turned to glare at the teenager, "You are a filthy hypocrite!"

"I am not!" Light set the cupcake down on his desk. "I am enjoying a cupcake as part of a balanced diet."

Light narrowed his eyes as he stared into L's, the man was being totally ridiculous. Light picked the cupcake up again and bit into it slowly.

"I'm only eating it so you don't." he grinned. "You need to cut down on the sugar; I'm doing you a favour here." Light noticed Misa smiling.

"Light has a very good point Ryuzaki-San," she giggled. "You really should eat healthy food; otherwise you will just keep putting on weight." Light frowned at Misa, T_hat wasn't what I meant! L could probably do with putting __on__ some weight._

L slammed his muffin down on the desk. "I will eat whatever I want to eat." He turned on Misa, "You have been putting on far more weight than I have." He whirled around to face Light. "And I don't know why you think you have any right to tell me what to do. I thought you were supposed to be proving you aren't Kira!"

"Dammit L! I thought we were past that." Light looked hurt. "I am not Kira! How can you still believe that after everything we've done together?" Light stood up and pulled L to his feet. "How can you still not trust me?" he demanded.

"How can I trust you when you keep trying to change me?" L hissed. "I thought you liked me."

"That's enough!" Soichiro Yagami pulled Light away as Watari tried to comfort the visibly distressed detective. Light had forgotten that they were surrounded by the whole task force - he tried to work out if he had said anything he shouldn't have. Watari was clearly angry with him but it didn't look like anyone else had guessed there was anything more than friendship between him and L.

* * *

Light sat miserably on the floor, leaning against their locked bathroom door. L had shut him out and was refusing to talk to him unless he apologised. Well, that wasn't going to happen. Light hadn't done anything wrong! L was being completely stupid about everything. Light checked his watch, it was already after midnight.

"L?" he called. "Please come out now. This is ridiculous! Let's just go to bed."

"No. You've ruined everything!" came the reply through the door. "Yesterday everything was perfect but now I know how you really feel about me."

"You know exactly how I feel about you L! I love you! I only want you to eat healthier because I am worried about you. Please L, let's just get into bed together, that is as long as you can trust me not to murder you in your sleep, seeing as you think I am Kira after all."

**Sorry I took so long with this chapter! **  
**Please let me know what you think - I really do love reading reviews and I do my best to reply to them, but if there are any I've missed - Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!**


	19. 9th August 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 19 - 9th August 2004

L shoved against the bathroom door with all his weight but it still wouldn't budge, had Light barricaded it or something? L backed off a few paces before running at the door and kicking it hard. That worked. The door flew open and whatever Light had blocked it with fell to the ground with a thud and a muffled groan. L paused briefly, that was odd, was he imagining things? It was probably the lack of sugar. L stomped through the door in search of the stupid teenager he had stupidly fallen in love with. The room was dark. L tugged on the handcuffs, and followed the chain around to behind the now open bathroom door.

"Light?" L nudged the teen with his toe. "Light-Kun, what are you doing down there?" L knelt beside the teen and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket to provide some light. The teen was lying on the floor, fast asleep and apparently bleeding from the side of his head. L pondered this for a moment, there was nothing else on the floor with Light, which could only mean that he had barricaded the bathroom door with... himself? He must have fallen asleep against the door and when L had kicked it open it had been Light that had toppled to the floor. That explained the groan he'd heard. L shone his light on the wall above his boyfriend, revealing a bloody smudge down the wall; that must have been where he had hit his head. L sighed and scooped the teen up in his arms. He was starting to feel a little bad about their row, but not quite enough for him to be overly gentle with the teen. It was all Light's fault anyway. He dropped the teenager onto the bed before climbing in himself and pulling the duvet over them.

* * *

Light woke up with one hell of a headache. He raised his hand to touch the point where the pain was worst, his left temple. He prodded it gently, the whole area was tender and there was something caked onto his skin, dry and flaky around the edges but as his fingers edged closer to the centre of the pain he felt the substance becoming moist, he opened his eyes and examined his fingers. Blood? Light tried to remember hitting his head. He couldn't. He couldn't even remember getting into bed…Hadn't he fallen asleep by the bathroom door? He remembered arguing with L. Had it got so bad that they had fought? He glanced to his side, L was sitting up in bed, with his knees pulled up to his chest and his head resting against the pillow he'd propped up. Light couldn't tell if he was awake or not from this angle.

"L?" he whispered.

"What is it Light-Kun?" L didn't bother to look at him.

"Why am I bleeding?" Light sat up beside the detective, whose deep charcoal eyes were fixed on the ceiling.

"Because Light-Kun is an idiot."

Light sighed, "L, this is stupid. I'm sorry, okay?" He reached out his clean hand to brush the detective's hair back softly. L jerked away from him.

"Light-Kun is still an idiot." L climbed out of bed, he couldn't quite get away from the fact that he had been the one to cause Light's injury but he certainly wasn't going to shoulder all of the blame. Light had been stupid enough to fall asleep in front of a door, and if L really thought about it, which he had been doing all night, it was Light's fault that they'd even been arguing in the first place._ Stupid teenager. _

L dragged Light towards the bathroom and pulled him directly to their shower cubicles making sure that the teen had no opportunity to look in a mirror first. He didn't want to deal with the fit Light was bound to throw as soon as he realised that L had damaged his face. L glanced guiltily at the dried blood in his hair. Hopefully the damage wouldn't be so obvious once the blood had been washed away.

L climbed into his cubicle without saying anything more, he was still mad at Light and a no amount of the teen's stupidity was going to change that. Perhaps he could reduce Light's chance of being Kira, there was no way the elusive murderer was idiotic enough to fall asleep against a door which he knew was likely to open.

Light stood by his shower cubicle, somewhere between misery and rage. He couldn't understand why L was still so annoyed with him. All he'd wanted to do was cook for the man he loved; he'd wanted to get L eating something other than sweets. He remembered overhearing L compliment his cooking, but clearly that only applied to dessert. Light sighed and climbed into the cubicle, it really sucked that L wasn't willing to even take a chance on some of the other dishes he could make. He'd even tried to apologise when it wasn't his fault to begin with, but L was being totally unreasonable.

L turned off the warm water and wrapped his towel carefully around his waist. "Light?"

"Yes?"

"Are you done now?" L demanded.

"Yeah." Light turned off his shower and L stepped out of his cubicle. As soon as Light emerged he rushed over to the bathroom's large mirror. L sighed, hoping that the teen wasn't going to get mad about the bruising which was becoming more pronounced on the side of his face.

"L?" the teen called, "are you going to tell me how this happened?"

"You fell asleep in the way of the door, I opened it."

"Oh, sorry." Light shrugged, tugging at his hair in attempt to hide the worst of the damage behind it. "Let's go get some breakfast, you can eat whatever you want, clearly it doesn't matter to you that I'm worried about your health."

L frowned. "You are trying to make me feel bad about it?"

"No, why should you? I'll be the one who gets left behind when you go have a heart attack."

"What? You are Kira aren't you Light-Kun?" L screamed, "You are threatening me with a heart attack!"

"Yeah, because Kira gives a fuck about your health." Light laughed at him. "I was talking about a natural heart attack. If I was Kira, I'd be happily feeding you as many sweets as I could."

Light turned away and headed for the kitchen, hoping that the fact that L was following behind quietly meant that he was thinking. He pressed his fingers against the side of his head, it still hurt like hell, and now L thought he was Kira? Light cursed under his breath, how had this all gone so wrong?

L glared at the back of the teenager's head. He was under enough stress as it was, he did not need Light bringing up extra worries, and they were completely unfounded. L was in perfect health, mostly. It was stupid for Light to be concerned, but then again, perhaps he should try to compromise a little, just to set Light's mind at ease.

L stomped into the kitchen behind the teen and sat down at the table. Light turned to stare at him.

"Aren't you hungry?" he snapped.

"A little bit." L mumbled. "What are you going to cook?"

"Um, I wasn't." Light blushed. "I thought you wanted your sweets or cakes."

"I will try whatever Light-Kun is eating." L announced, as if this sentence alone commanded respect and admiration for the bravery it implied.

Light grinned stupidly and ran over to hug L. "Thankyou." He kissed L on the forehead. _I'll have to make it something easy for him, something sweet..._

L waited nervously as Light cooked, he didn't dare to look at whatever it was. He'd just have to eat it quickly and hope that it would be enough to appease the teenager.

"You can open your eyes now." Light placed a plate in front of him.

"Toast." L stated at the plate. "Light-Kun, I thought you were cooking for me. This is just burnt bread."

"It isn't burnt!" Light sounded hurt, "you said you were having what I was having, and I am having toast." He smiled. "with Jam." Light held a jar out towards the detective. L grinned at the strawberry on the label, but within moments he was struggling to keep his smile in place.

Light put the jar down in front of him, "L? What's wrong?"

"Nothing Light-Kun. Jam just reminds me of something." L took the jar and twisted the lid off.

"What happened?" Light prompted. L froze, could he really tell Light about the LABB Case? _No, best not. It's hardly breakfast conversation, and it is pretty classified._

"Sorry Light-Kun, I can't really say." L smiled at the teen, and seeing his expression fall, hurriedly began spreading jam over his toast.

Light sighed, He wished L could confide in him, but it was obvious that things could never be like that between them. He was still a suspect. Light dutifully took the jar off of L and smeared a very thin layer over his own toast. _I hate jam. Why are we such opposites? _

* * *

L laughed as he glanced at Light. The teen was sitting at his computer, glaring at the screen. L knew he was mad about the hat, but it had been necessary. He didn't want Light's dad, or the rest of the task force, to know that he had hurt him. The baseball cap on Light's head, pulled down over the side of his face, covered the injury completely.

"Ligggghhht," Misa whined, tugging on Light's arm. "Take that hat off. You look stupid."

"I know." Light shot an annoyed glance at L.

"So why are you wearing it?" she demanded, pouting at him.

"Because I lost a bet." Light lied. "So I have to wear the hat."

"That's stupid." Misa turned her attention to L. "You make stupid bets. I bet you cheated anyway. My Light is smart; he wouldn't lose to a pervert like you."

"I am not a pervert." L insisted loudly, drawing the attention of the task force.

"Um, okay," Matsuda said from the corner he had been sent to earlier. L turned around to face them, his cheeks bright red. "Well, I'm not. Misa-San keeps calling me a pervert and it is annoying." He turned to the blonde model, "I am not a pervert and I do not cheat."

"Well I think you are." She pushed him, "You are a pervert, you are a liar, you are a cheater and you are trying to steal my boyfriend." Misa slapped L hard across the face.

Light grabbed Misa by the arm before she could hit him again. "Don't touch him." He pulled her away roughly. "He is none of those things and he is not trying to steal me." _He doesn't need to, I'm already his. _"L is my friend," Light paused to wink at the detective, "most of the time."

"Whatever." Misa grabbed at the baseball cap, knocking it to the ground. "Oh my God!" she screamed. "Light? What happened to your head?"

"Nothing." Light snatched the hat from the floor and hurriedly pressed it back to his head. "I just, um, I just hit it, that's all."

"Yes" L agreed. "Light-Kun was not looking where he was going and he walked into a door." Light turned to glare at his detective. _That just makes me sound like a victim of domestic violence..._

* * *

L collapsed into an armchair in their bedroom, "That was horrible! Perhaps I should employ your father directly; he is a very intense interrogator."

"Well, it's your own fault for coming up with such a dumb excuse." Light laughed, perching on the edge of the armchair and kissing L softly. "I was just going to say that I'd tripped."

"Perhaps that would have been a better excuse." L pulled the teen onto his lap. "but there was no need for him to be so suspicious." L grimaced, "even I don't interrogate people for three hours like that, and now we have to go out for a meal with them all tonight."

Light felt a little odd sitting on L's lap. He tried to rearrange himself into a less vulnerable position, but instead he found L pulling him close and kissing him intensely. Light felt like he would melt, he felt himself surrendering, allowing L to control the kiss. _What am I doing? _Light didn't like feeling like this, he didn't feel in control. That would have to change. He pushed L back into the armchair and deepened the kiss as he slipped his hands under L's shirt.

L sighed as Light began caressing his nipples, teasing him. He had been hoping that he'd be able to take charge for tonight. He did feel guilty about Light's head and he had hoped to make it up to him, somehow. But clearly Light did not want to give up control and L couldn't find the desire to fight for it. He loved it when Light kissed him like this. The teen broke away, gazing hungrily at L.

"How long do we have before they want us back downstairs?" Light whispered breathlessly.

L forced his eyes away from Light's to check the teen's wrist watch "Um, about ten minutes."

"Damn." Light sighed, "I guess we'd best get changed then."

"Why?" L held on to the younger man as he tried to get up.

"Because you can't wear that to a posh restaurant." Light gestured over L's simple outfit.

"But I don't have anything else." L frowned, watching as the teen walked over to the wardrobe and pulled off his shirt.

"I guess you'll have to borrow something then." Light began rummaging through the clothes.

L got up and cautiously went to stand behind the teen.

Light grinned as he found the shirt he'd been looking for, a dark grey which he thought would go beautifully with L's eyes and hair. He hadn't worn it since they'd been chained so he had to carefully un-stitch the seam down one side before sliding it over L's pale skin. The contrast was perfect.

"Light-Kun?" L looked worriedly at him as Light pulled a needle out from a small bag.

"I'm just going to sew it up." Light explained. They'd been making do with using safety pins to hold their shirts together but Light did not want to look like a tramp tonight. He stitched L's shirt up and stood back to admire the way L looked in a proper shirt. The detective was fiddling with the collar and did not look comfortable.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" L looked over the unfamiliar material covering his body.

"You look good." Light shrugged. "Really good."

* * *

"Wow." Matsuda laughed in surprise. "L, you look different."

"Yes." L put his hands into the pockets of Light's trousers. They were nowhere near as comfortable as his jeans. _What is this?_ L fingered an unfamiliar shape in the pocket. He pulled it out curiously and held it up to examine it. _A square packet. Something round inside?_

Light watched in horror as L examined the small object he had pulled from the pocket of the trousers Light had leant him. _When did I last wear those? _He snatched the condom from L, hopefully before anyone else had noticed. Light glanced around nervously. Matsuda was staring at them, a look of shock and suspicion on his face, clearly he was remembering L's outburst about perverts.

"Sorry L." Light spoke loudly enough that Matsuda could hear. "A friend gave me that as a joke a while back. I haven't worn those since and I'd forgotten about it."

"Oh. I see." L struggled to keep calm in front of everyone else. _Is he telling the truth? _L wondered. _Or was he planning to use it? With me? _L felt his face heat up at the thought but thankfully Matsuda had turned away to speak to Misa and only Light was watching him. The teen squeezed his hand gently.

"I am sorry." he whispered. "I should have checked the pocket before I gave you them to wear." Light's face was bright red.

"Let's just go and eat." L took his hand back from the teen and hurried into the restaurant after the others.

* * *

L stormed into the bathroom as soon as they got back to their floor, leaving Light to hurry along behind him.

"L? What's wrong?" Light caught up and pulled the detective into a tight hug.

"Why would a friend give you a condom?" L demanded. "Did he think you might need it?"

"Well, um." Light wasn't sure how to answer. "I sort of had this reputation at school."

"Light-Kun is a slut?"

"NO! No, no, no." Light tried to keep his temper in check. "Don't you trust me?"

"You told me you knew you were gay since puberty but you have never had a boyfriend." L stated. "Now you say you had a 'reputation' at school and you have a condom in your smart trousers, the sort of trousers you might wear on a date."

"Look," Light tried to explain. "I did go on dates with girls, you know that! I only did it so no one would be suspicious. I was popular with the girls and my friends all sort of assumed that I, well, you know."

"I don't know." L glared at him.

"I didn't. I haven't ever." Light insisted. "My friends gave me that when I went on a date with a popular girl who was rumoured to have a similar reputation."

"And what happened?"

"Nothing." Light mumbled and looked at his feet.

"What happened?" L shouted at him.

"Nothing!" Light yelled back. "I just left. She was trying to make me do stuff with her, she kissed me and I ran away."

L was shocked to see that Light was crying. "Light?" He put his arms around the teen. "I'm sorry, I do trust you, Please don't cry."

"I'm not." Light wiped his face furiously on his sleeve. "I just got something in my eye."

"I see." L pulled Light's chin up and kissed him softly. "I am sorry."

Light hugged L tight. "I don't like fighting with you. Let's not fight about stupid things any more, please."

"Yes," L brushed Light's hair back to look at the bruised side of his face, "Let's just get ready for bed and then we can snuggle up together and sleep."


	20. 10th August 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 20 - 10th August 2004

It was four in the morning and L was wide awake. He softly stroked Light's hair as the teen slept, trying not to look at the small scab and the bruises which were still visible on the side of his head. They had faded a lot overnight, but still looked painful. He leant in and kissed Light's forehead, before snuggling back into the duvet and enjoying the warmth. He was glad that he and Light were on good terms again, he'd missed feeling this close to him.

A few hours later L opened his eyes, he could feel Light waking beside him. "Good morning," L sighed happily. "Do you want to get up now?"  
"Mmmm," Light rolled over and pulled L into a tight hug.  
"Light!" L giggled. "Come on, get up."  
"Mmmm." Light kissed the back of L's neck, sending a small shiver down his spine.

L sighed as Light began moving soft hands up his chest, he closed his eyes and relaxed as the teenager's fingers danced across his skin.  
"Aaargh." the cold metal of the handcuffs brushed against L's hip and he shot out of bed. _Damn that was cold!_ L turned to face the teen. Light was lying back with his eyes closed, smiling. "You did that on purpose." L accused.

Light rolled away from L, grinning to himself. L was wrong, he hadn't brushed the metal against him intentionally, but it had been funny. He hoped L would just climb back in with him, it was cosy in bed and he wanted to stay there. He didn't want to share his gorgeous detective with the rest of the task force. He smiled as he felt L lifting the duvet and rolled over again, planning to capture L in his arms. He opened his eyes; L was not climbing in with him. The detective smiled and Light made a grab for the duvet a moment too late. L had already pulled it off of him and thrown it across the room. Light rolled away again, curling up and trying to look cold.

"Aw," L laughed "I'll warm you up." He climbed back onto the bed and wrapped his arms around the teen. Light rolled over suddenly, he climbed on top of L and pinned both arms above his head.  
"I'm sure you will." Light whispered in his ear, trailing soft kisses over L's neck. L wriggled helplessly, he felt so vulnerable like this – but so good. Light's mouth broke away from his body and the teen pulled back slightly, his lips parted, his cheeks flushed and his eyes so intense with desire that in that moment, L truly felt that he might be as sexy as Light claimed he was.

And then Light's mouth was on his, L's hands were free and Light's were tangling in his hair, running over his chest, pulling at his shoulder, sliding over his hips. L no longer knew or cared how many hands Light had, they seemed to be everywhere at once, behind his neck, pulling him into their kisses, brushing over his stomach, sliding under his pyjamas. L gasped and opened eyes he hadn't realised he'd closed. Light's hands moved perfectly over his arousal, but L needed more. He wrapped his arms around Light, pulling him down as he arched off of the bed, he felt Light's body shudder as the teen moaned against his neck. L pulled Light down to lie beside him. He rolled on top, pleased with the moans escaping from Light's throat as he moved down his body. L trailed soft kisses over the his exposed hips, he slid one hand down to the waistband of Light's pyjamas, edging it lower and following with his lips.  
"No." L felt Light freeze beneath him.  
"Light-Kun? What's wrong?" L sat back and looked down at the teen; he caught a momentary glimpse of something unfamiliar in his eyes, something vulnerable. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced with Light's usual cocky smirk.

Suddenly L found himself pinned once more beneath Light's perfect body, Light was pressing him into the bed with even more force than before, his lips once more working their magic over his body. The teen pulled back to look down at him again, still smirking, a determined glint in his eyes. L didn't feel sexy this time, he felt nervous, Light was not looking at him like a lover, he was looking at him the way a cat looks at a mouse it knows cannot escape, _Like prey?_  
"Light?" L whispered.  
"Yes L?" Light's voice was no longer a breathless whisper; it was controlled and full of the same arrogance which filled his expression. The light steaming through a crack in the curtains seemed to outline him, creating a bright halo and darkening his expression in contrast. L felt he was looking up at some terrible angel, who knew that L was completely at his mercy.

L's mobile began to ring on the table beside them, the cheerful ringtone cutting into the silence and breaking the disturbing illusion, because that was all it had been. _Light would never hurt me. He loves me._ L felt his breathing slow as Light kissed him softly on the forehead and slid off of him.

Light grabbed the duvet off the floor as L answered the phone, silently cursing whoever had dared to disturb them. He snuggled into L and pulled the duvet over them.  
"No," L said "I'm not busy, I can talk."  
Light sighed, _Not busy?_ He kissed L's neck, snaking one hand around his waist and tracing soft patterns against his skin.

"Well, you really should have remembered." L said to the mystery interruption. "You know what he's like."  
Light leant over to kiss L's nipple, knowing there was no way L would be able to ignore that. He was right. L gasped, and smiling slightly, he pushed Light away.  
"Sorry Matt," L giggled down the phone.  
_So, it's that redhead again is it?_ Light leant in once more and bit L's nipple a little harder than he normally would have.  
"Oh!" L pushed him away again, turning bright red. "Um, nothing." he said. "No!" L giggled, shoving Light back as he tried again. "Stop it," he mouthed, "This is important."  
Light scowled at him and lay back down, rolling away from L. _I was just trying to have some fun. Stupid detective._

After what seemed like hours L put his phone back down on the bedside table. Light ignored him.  
"Light-Kun?" L's hand was on his shoulder, shaking him gently. "Light? Are you awake?"  
Light ignored him again.  
"We need to go downstairs now." L prompted. "Let's go and shower quickly."  
Light began snoring loudly.

* * *

"Why are you so late?" Misa demanded as they joined the task force. "It's lunchtime."  
"Light-Kun wanted to sleep in." L shrugged.  
Misa looked to Light for confirmation and L felt a stab of anger as the teen smiled at her. "Sorry Misa, I didn't mean to keep you waiting." Light said politely, taking the girl's hand as they walked over to their usual chairs.

Light was still angry with L, wasting their morning on a stupid phonecall, when they had been about to waste it in a much more enjoyable way. Did L really think he was going to get away with that? So what if it was childish to try to make L jealous, it was what the detective had suggested when Misa had wanted her man to appreciate her a little more. Light leant down to kiss Misa on the cheek as he reached his desk. She turned her face at the last second and Light found himself kissing her lips, for the first time in days. It was worse than he remembered it; all lipgloss and clumsy tongue.

He pulled away and turned to face his computer, surreptitiously wiping his mouth on his sleeve. That had better have done the trick, he didn't turn to check, didn't look as L sat down beside him and refused to listen as the detective whispered at him.

L blinked at his computer screen, he wasn't sure what he'd done but Light was clearly annoyed about something.  
"Light." He whispered again and again Light gave no sign that he had heard. "Light-Kun?"  
"Leave him alone." Misa slid between their chairs and plonked herself on Light's lap. "Light doesn't want to talk to you."  
"Misa-San." L hissed at her, "I have warned you before to keep your hands off of Light-Kun."  
"He's my boyfriend," Misa's eyes narrowed. "I can touch him as much as I want."  
L glared at her.  
"Isn't that right?" She looked up at Light, rearranging her self across his lap and reached up to kiss him again.  
L watched in disbelief. Light was actually kissing her, again. Surely once was more than enough to make whatever point it was that he was tying to make, but he was still doing it. L stood up.  
"Light-Kun!" He grabbed Misa's arm and dragged her off of Light's lap. "This is a murder investigation. If you want to spend your time kissing Misa, I suggest you put some effort into catching Kira so that I can release you and then the two of you will be able to spend as much time as you like, doing whatever you like with one another, without forcing the rest of us to watch."  
"Let go of me." Misa whimpered. "Ryuzaki, you're hurting me." L let go of her arm without turning his gaze from Light's face. It was impossible to read. Light was simply glaring back at him. L turned away and glanced around the room. Most of the task force were crowded around Misa, who was obviously playing up her 'hurt' arm. The only exception was Watari. He was watching Light, frowning suspiciously. L turned back to his monitor, of course Watari would be confused, L was confused enough himself. He remembered Light insisting that he could never toy with a woman's emotions, but that was clearly what he was doing now. _Unless...?_ L felt dizzy. _Unless he isn't toying with her, maybe he's actually toying with me?_ L remembered the way Light had looked at him that morning, as if they were predator and prey. When he was younger, L had watched the cats back at Wammy's playing with mice, batting them from one paw to the other, keeping them confused, letting them run away, thinking that they were free, and then pouncing again before they could escape; all for entertainment. Was that what he was? Simply something to keep Light entertained while he was a suspect? _No. He loves me._ L's monitor began to swim in front of his eyes. _He DOES love me. I am sure of it._ L bit his lip. _At least, I was sure. No, I still am. 100% sure. Yes, Light loves me. He is not using me... I think._

Light watched L blinking at his monitor. _Does he care or not? 'Put some effort into catching Kira so that I can release you...' He can't seriously think I want to spend my time kissing Misa?_ Light tried to work out what L was thinking. He was biting on his lower lip, _Is he crying?_ Light suddenly wondered if he'd gone too far. _Surely he's not that upset about it? It's his fault anyway, perhaps he should learn not to answer phonecalls when he's in bed with me._ Light turned back to his own computer.

L could feel Light's gaze on him, he didn't look. He could already imagine Light smirking, revelling in the control he had over him. It was pathetic. _I'm pathetic! Why do I let him do this to me? I should have known he wasn't serious about me. He doesn't even let me touch him, it's always him touching me, teasing me - using me?_

"I think I'm going to be sick!" L stood up and Light staggered behind him as he tore out of the room and down a corridor to the nearest toilet. Light tried to follow him into the cubicle but L slammed the door and moments later Light heard him throwing up.  
"L?" He pulled at the door, "Are you okay? Are you ill?" Light banged on the plastic door with both fists. "L let me in."  
The toilet flushed. Light couldn't hear L being sick any more, but he could hear him sobbing. "L? Is there CCTV in here?" he demanded.  
"No." L sobbed.

Light opened the door next to L's and climbed onto the toilet seat. He pulled himself up and over the wall dividing them. "L, what's wrong?" The detective was sitting on the floor, arms around his knees and head down, shoulders heaving with each muffled sob.  
"You don't like me."  
"What?"  
"You like Misa?"  
"No I don't."  
"You kissed her." L looked up at him, his eyes red and puffy. "Twice."  
Light sighed.  
"You said that taking advantage of a person's feelings is the most despicable thing a person can do." L accused.  
Light frowned at him, wondering why exactly L had bothered to memorise his words. "So?"  
"You said you wouldn't play with a woman's emotions – even to solve the Kira case." L stood up, apparently he was done crying now and ready to argue. "But you are playing with her feelings..." L closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them "... and mine." he finished.  
Light tried to think quickly. "It's true that I did say I wouldn't do it – even to solve the case." He put one hand gently on L's cheek, "but you are more important that the Kira case, and as stupid as it sounds, I'd do the most despicable thing a person can do – just to make you jealous." Light smiled at him. "Can you believe that?"

L felt tears spill down his face again, Light's hand on his cheek was comforting, loving.  
"I believe you." he whispered. "But why?" He looked into Light's eyes, "why make me jealous?"  
"You made me jealous." Light shrugged, turning pink. "You wanted to talk to your ginger friend instead of make out with me." Light leant forwards and kissed L softly on the forehead. "Perhaps it was childish, but I was annoyed."  
L sighed, "I had to talk to him. His boyfriend had locked him outside naked."  
Light's eyes widened "You were talking to a naked gay guy on the phone?"  
"He's like a brother, I told you that."  
"You never told me he was gay."  
"Does it matter?" L shrugged, "He's only fourteen."  
"And his boyfriend locked him outside naked? At fourteen?" Light looked horrified. "What kind of place is England?"  
"Oh, England is fine." L laughed. "His boyfriend is just a bit sensitive. It was their anniversary and Matt forgot."  
"But how did he get naked?" Light still looked worried.  
"I'm not sure I want to know." L shrugged, "they share a bedroom back at..." L hesitated, reminding himself that Light was still a suspect. "... back home."

"Come on." Light sighed, "We should get back to work. Once we catch Kira you won't have to hide everything from me."  
"Okay." L allowed Light to lead him out of the cubicle, feeling guilty. He hadn't been trying to catch Kira at all lately. He was scared of what they might discover.

* * *

Light followed as L finally led the way to the lift at the end of the day. Watari had been glaring at him all afternoon, clearly he wasn't man enough to try anything in front of the task force but Light wasn't really surprised. Watari needed to keep up his 'nice old man' act. He hoped he'd confused him by kissing Misa. He wanted Watari to think he'd given up on L. He allowed himself a quick glance over L's body as they waited for the lift. He wondered if he could get L to stop wearing such baggy clothes all the time, clothes that hid far too much of his body, clothes that would be far to easy to tear away. _Where is this damn lift?_ Light fiddled impatiently with the links attached to his wrist. He just wanted to be alone with L, away from the cameras.

The lift doors opened and L stepped inside. _It's been a really weird day._ He still hadn't forgotten the look on Light's face that morning, or the flash of vulnerability which had seemed to trigger it. He wondered what it meant? Why was Light so scared of giving up control? L pressed the button for their floor and turned to smile at Light. He was standing there fiddling awkwardly with the handcuffs, and looking a his feet. _Perhaps I'm being stupid, he's just nervous. I keep forgetting he's so much younger than i am._ The doors opened and L stepped out of the lift.

Light pounced, pressing L into the wall and kissing him hard. This was it. This was kissing. L tasted of strawberries, real strawberries. Not lipgloss, strawberries and sugar. Light ran his hands over L's body, his chest, his thighs, his hips.  
Light broke away from L's mouth to whisper in his ear. "I love you." He flicked his tongue against L's earlobe, the detective shivered.  
"Come on." Light grabbed L's hand and dragged him down the corridor, towards their bedroom.

**Sorry this chapter took so long! I've just finished my first term at university and it's been insane!**

**Please do review and don't give up on me yet - I promise to be more organised and finish chapters regularly from now on.**

**Thanks for sticking with the story so far! **


	21. 11th August 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 21 - 11th August 2004

_L looked out of his bedroom window across the orphanage's beautiful gardens. It was spring, the trees were covered in blossom, and children chased excitedly after one another. L tried to make out their faces, but there were none he recognised. He turned away from the window and crossed his bedroom. The door opened as he reached it and L walked out into the corridor._

_Light was suddenly there beside him, looking perfectly at home, here at Wammy's. L took his hand and together they walked through the orphanage, children passing them occasionally, smiling politely as they passed. But still, L recognised none of them. He followed Light into the gardens, around the greenhouses and towards the pond._

_The pond was always beautiful in spring, with weeping willows all around and ducklings following their mothers across the clear water. They stopped at the edge of the pond, so that they were hidden completely by the willows and tall grasses. Light smiled, pulled him close and kissed him. L kissed back, pressing Light into the tree trunk and running his hands over Light's chest._

_"NO!" Light snapped and L felt himself forced backwards. Light was suddenly so much taller, growing before L's eyes. The soft light which streamed through the branches had no effect on the teen. Light was surrounded by darkness, his eyes glowing with some demonic fire and his expression cruel and sneering. L backed away but instantly Light stepped towards him. L scrambled clumsily backwards, out into the brilliant sunlight._

_He stood, rooted to the spot as Light brushed the willow's branches aside and stepped through. He was beautiful; the right size again, his eyes once more soft and innocent._  
_"What's wrong?" Light asked, his voice sounding so young, so vulnerable._  
_L stepped toward him again. "Nothing." He whispered, "Nothing's wrong." He pulled light close and the teen clung to him._  
_"I'm sorry." Light whispered, "I'm so sorry."_  
_"Why? What for?" L soothed, stroking his back comfortingly._  
_"For this." Light's voice was hard and arrogant once more. He kissed L hard on the lips and shoved him away._

_L staggered backwards, slipping on the muddy bank of the pond, He reached out for his lover, but Light simply smiled his cocky smile as L fell backwards into the water._  
_L scrambled to reach the bank, but in vain; he felt himself being continually repelled by the darkness radiating from Light's body._  
_As he sank, unable to escape the freezing water, he watched Light's face and saw him whisper "I am Kira."_  
_Then the water was filling L's lungs and he knew he was dying._

L sat bolt upright, gasping for breath.  
"L?" Light called, the detective's sudden movement having woken him. "L, what's wrong?"  
"I, I drowned." L sobbed, "You drowned me."  
"But that was nearly two weeks ago." Light said, "Are you okay? Were you dreaming about it?" Light took L's hand in his, "L, you're soaking, you must have been sweating really badly."  
"Sweat?" L repeated, "But I was in the pond. The pond is cold."  
Light put one arm over L shoulders and pulled him closer, "It was just a dream, okay?" Light ran his fingers through L's wet hair,  
"A dream." L sighed, "Yes, of course it was. I'm sorry."  
"Do you want to talk about it?"  
"No, I'll be alright." L said, "What time is it?"  
Both of them looked over to the clock, "4:17 in the morning." Light said, "Come on, let's get you showered."  
"In a minute." L said, "Let's just stay like this for a minute."  
"Okay," Light said as L hugged him tightly, "your heart's still racing L." Light placed his palm against the detective's chest. "Are you really ok?"  
"Yes, I'm fine." L sighed,

A few minutes later, once L's pulse had returned to its normal speed, the two of them climbed out of bed. Light kissed L gently and led him through to the bathroom. L looked in the mirror, his face was pale and his hair was plastered to his damp forehead. He shook his head. _It was just a dream _. He turned to face Light again, paying close attention to the softness of the teen's smile, the love that he could see in Light's eyes. _Just a dream – he loves me really._

Light took L's hand and led him over to the showers. L reached out to open his own cubicle, but Light held it shut. "Not today." He whispered, "Let me wash you. Please?"  
L swallowed loudly. "You mean, you want us to shower together?"  
"Yes." Light brushed L's hair away from his face. "If you're ok with that."  
"Um, I suppose so." L said.

Light smiled. He wanted to do something nice for the detective. He hadn't missed L's words earlier. _"You drowned me."_ Light heard the words again in his mind. _That must mean he still blames me for that time in the pool. I thought he was okay about it._

Light ran his hands down L's chest and over his hips. He slid the detective's pyjama bottoms down and waited as L fiddled with his waistband. _I wish he'd just get on with it. Either touch me or undress me. _Eventually L's hands slipped inside Light's pyjama bottoms and he gasped as the detective touched him. He took a deep breath, stepped back and took the trousers off himself, before opening his cubicle door and stepping inside.

L followed Light into the cubicle. He wondered why Light was so nervous, why he still wouldn't let him touch him properly. But showering together was a step forward, he hoped. Light turned the shower on and pulled L close, so that the two of them were both under the water. Light grabbed a bottle of shower gel from the shelf.  
"Turn around." He whispered, and L nervously turned away from him.

The detective pushed his wet hair out of his face and chewed on his thumb as he waited to see what Light was going to do. After a few seconds, he felt Light's hands on his shoulders. L hadn't realised quite how tense he was until Light began working the shower gel into his skin, massaging him firmly, yet somehow so gently. L sighed in appreciation as Light's hands slid over his back and down his spine.

Light kissed L's shoulder as he slid his hands lower still, until he was massaging L's perfect buttocks. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the naked man before him. After a few moments, Light gave up on resisting the temptation and removed one hand from L's skin, bringing it to his own cock; he didn't know if he had ever been this hard.

"Light," L sighed, "let me." L turned to face him and Light felt himself heat up, he looked away, embarrassed.  
L pulled Light's chin up and kissed him. "Please," He whispered, taking both of Light's hands and wrapping them around his back. Light took a deep breath as L's fingers found his inner thigh and began to trace patterns upwards. Moments later L's other hand was around his cock.  
"I love you," L whispered, "Please let me."  
Light smiled nervously and looked away again. "I, I wanted to something for you." He whispered.  
"Do this for me, let me touch you." L said, "Please, that's what I really want."  
Light nodded, "okay." He whispered.

L's hands began to move, one hand cupping Light's balls and the other gently stroking his cock. Light sighed and closed his eyes; he didn't know where to look. This was like nothing he had ever experienced, when he touched himself it was always rough, fast, desperate. I guess he's had a few more years of practise. Light moaned as L's hands slipped over him and moments later he gasped as L's mouth enveloped him.  
"L!" He called out, opening his eyes and looking down to see the detective kneeling on the floor between his feet. Light reached down and placed his hands on the detectives head.

L sighed as Light's fingers played with his hair. He hoped he was doing this right. He remembered how wonderful it had felt when Light had done this to him, and he wanted it to be just as incredible for Light. He moved slowly up and down, taking Light's entire length into his mouth. His swirled his tongue around Light's cock as he moved back and forth.

"L." Light moaned, "L, stop." Light backed away, leaving L looking up at him, through the pouring water, with a worried, hurt expression.  
"Did I do it wrong? Did I hurt you?" L stood up, "Light? Are you okay?"  
"Yeah," Light whispered, "I'm okay, that was, just, wow."  
"Then why stop?" L asked, "Please, if I did something wrong - just tell me..."  
"It was just," Light blushed, "I don't know - too much. I can't do this."  
"Why?" L pressed, wrapping his arms around the teen, "I thought you wanted to."  
"I do, I've wanted this for so long." Light sighed, "I just, I can't, and I don't know why."

L pulled Light closer to him, their bodies touching, their arousals pressed together. Light gasped at the contact and L let out a soft moan as the teen pushed him against the wall of the cubicle, kissing him roughly and thrusting against him. L ran his hands over Light's back, his fingernails digging into the teen's skin as Light took them both higher. L gasped as Light broke away from the kiss, calling out his name as they came against each other.

They continued to stand there, breathing hard and supporting one another as the shower washed them clean.  
"Wow." Light said, "I love you."  
"Mmm, I Love you too." L sighed, "That was…interesting."  
"Interesting meaning good?"  
"Amongst other things." L smiled, "let's get washed now."  
"What other things?" Light asked.  
"I need to think." L said, "We will probably talk about it when I've figured something out."  
"Oh." Light sighed, "Shall I wash your hair then?"  
"Only if I can wash yours?"

* * *

After a hasty breakfast of cereal, with milk (and in L's case a ridiculous amount of sugar), the two of them made their way down to join the rest of the task force  
"Yagami-Kun?" Watari snapped as soon as they emerged from the lift. "What are you grinning about?"  
"Nothing." Light smirked. "I'm just in a good mood."  
"L?" Watari said. "Why is Yagami-Kun in such a good mood? Have you cleared his name yet?"  
"No, not yet." L sighed, "I don't know why he is so happy."  
"Are you sure you don't know?"  
"Why is Light-Kun's mood your concern anyway?" L challenged.  
"I think we need to reassess the handcuff situation." Watari glared at the pair of them.  
"No. I think not." L smiled, "Now, could you please go and get me a selection of cupcakes?"  
"Fine." Watari said. "I will get you some cakes, and then, later, we will talk."

The old man stalked off down the corridor and Light watched him go nervously. "Do you think he knows?"  
"No." L smiled. "But you should really try to act more normally."  
"How can I?" Light laughed, "I keep remembering."  
"Well, control yourself - and keep your voice down." L whispered, "This is important."

"Good Morning!" Misa ran down the corridor towards them, grabbing Light in a tight embrace and wiping the smile off of his face with a full blown kiss.  
"Hello Misa." L sighed.  
"Light, why does your hair smell like girls shampoo?" Misa demanded.  
"It doesn't!" Light and L said in unison.  
"It does. And I don't know why you have been smelling my Light-Kun's hair." Misa glared at L.  
"I haven't." L glared back. "Light-Kun ran out of shampoo, so he borrowed mine."  
"You use girl's shampoo Ryuzaki?"  
"No. It is just a simple strawberry shampoo," L said, "Now if you'll let us, perhaps we can get to work."

L walked past Misa and over to his computer, dragging Light behind him. Light sniffed at his hair as he sat down beside the detective. It didn't seem like a girly smell to him, but perhaps he had been spending too much time with L to notice. He turned on the computer and prepared himself for another day surrounded by the task force, before he could get L to himself again.

L frowned at his monitor. He needed to start working properly again. He knew that the dream had been his subconscious trying, not so subtly, to remind him. He was supposed to be finding Kira – and until he caught the real culprit, Light was the only suspect, and whilst that was the case, he could never go home. L had liked that part of the dream, Light being at Wammy's with him. But then there had been the other bit, that last bit. L shuddered. _"I am Kira."_ Light had said, and as much as it scared L, it could be true. L had been so convinced, for so long, but now… Had anything changed? Really? Sure, he had fallen in love with the boy, but could his emotions change reality? No. Light was still the only person who could have been the original Kira. L sighed, _But Light loves me. He can't be Kira._ L glanced at the teen; he was still smiling to himself._ I'm glad he's happy._ L looked up as the door opened and Watari came in with a tray of cakes.  
"Thank you." L said as Watari placed the tray beside him. "You got my favourites!"  
"You're welcome." Watari smiled.

Light watched Watari suspiciously, there was something strange about him today, the way he was watching L so closely. The old man is scheming something. Watari turned to glare at him and Light looked back at his computer quickly.

* * *

Finally evening came, and most of the task force turned off their computers and left.  
"Another cake?" Watari said, setting a new tray down beside L.  
"Thank you." L smiled, taking the top one off of the pile and biting into it. "These are really good."  
"L, don't you think you should save some room for dinner?" Light asked, "We could go to that café again?"  
"I'm sure I'll be able to eat dinner too." L smiled at him. "Shall we go soon?"  
"Are you sure you should be going out?" Watari interrupted,  
"Why?" Light stood up. "What's it to you?"  
"Oh, nothing." Watari smiled pleasantly, "But L does look very tired."  
"I'm not tired." L yawned. "I want to go."  
"Are you sure?" Light asked, "Now he mentions it, you do seem a little sleepy, and you didn't sleep very well last night."  
"I'm, fi-fi-fine." L yawned again, his eyelids flickering.  
"L? Are you okay?" Light placed one hand on L's shoulder. "L?"  
"Perhaps I should go to bed early today." L sighed.  
"Okay, I'll cook you some dinner here." Light offered  
"Something I like?"  
"Maybe." Light squeezed L's shoulder, and then let go. "Can we help you?" He said to Watari.  
"Not right now." Watari replied, "Goodnight L." The old man turned to leave.  
"Night Watari." L called after him.

By the time they made it to their floor, L was sleepier than Light had ever seen him. "Are you feeling okay?" Light asked,  
"Just tired." L smiled, "I probably need some sugar."  
"But you've been eating cakes all day."  
"I know." L sighed, "I guess it's because I slept badly."  
"I'll do something quick for dinner then," Light sighed, he'd been hoping to get L to eat an actual meal.  
"Jam sandwiches again?" L asked.  
"That's not a proper dinner."  
"Please."  
"Just for today." Light took L's hand and led him over to the kitchen. "You have to promise to eat a normal meal tomorrow."  
"Okay." L sighed.

* * *

L had fallen asleep as soon as they got into bed, which was unusual. Light couldn't work it out. L could usually go for days without sleep; last night shouldn't have had this much of an effect. He stroked L's hair with one hand, holding a book in the other. It was one of L's English novels. Light hated the fact that he was struggling with it. He could read English pretty well, but this one was full of strange dialects. He couldn't keep track of it all.

Light looked up from the book about an hour later, he was sure he'd heard something outside the bedroom door. He kept silent for a few seconds. There it was again. _There is someone out there!_ Light put the book down on the bedside table.  
"L?" He called, "L, wake up."  
The detective didn't respond.  
"L?" Light shook L's shoulder gently. "L, someone's on our floor."  
The detective still didn't wake.  
"Who's there?" Light called out, watching the door handle turn.  
"Good Evening Yagami-kun."  
"Watari?" Light hissed "What are you doing here?"  
"I need to talk to you, Kira."  
"I'm not Kira."  
"I don't believe you."  
"L?" Light shook L's shoulder harder this time. "L, wake up!"

Watari turned the light on and Light recognised the look on his face, it was the creepy look he'd seen once before. The old man was walking towards the bed, glaring at him.  
"L! Please wake up!" Light begged.  
"Get your hands off of him." Watari said, advancing on Light, with a sports bag in one hand and a gun held out in front of him.  
"L! Please?"  
"Get out of bed."  
Light climbed out, highly aware of the fact that he was wearing only his pyjama bottoms.  
"You are Kira." Watari said, "Sit." He pointed with the gun to the armchair L usually sat in.  
"I'm not Kira." Light insisted. "Please, believe me."  
"SIT!"  
"L! L please wake up!" Light called.  
"I've looked after L for years," Watari said, "There's no waking him up when he's that tired." The old man smiled momentarily at the sleeping detective "NOW SIT."  
Watari shoved Light roughly towards the armchair and Light sat. He didn't know what else he could do, not with Watari brandishing a gun at him.  
"What do you want?"  
"We are going to have a little chat."  
"Why?" Light froze as Watari pulled a length of rope from the sports bag.  
"I want to ask you some questions…" Watari whispered as he tied Light to the chair, "and, to make sure you give me the right answers – a few electric shocks."  
"You can't do that?" Light's eyes widened. "Please."  
"Oh, but I can." Watari grinned, pulling all sorts of wires from the bag. "It was what L had planned – before you fooled him into thinking you were his friend, Kira."  
"I'm not kira!"  
"We'll see…" Watari sighed, "We'll see."

Light turned his gaze to the sleeping detective, _Was L really going to torture me? Surely he wouldn't want this to happen? What if I say something about us by accident? _  
"L!" Light called frantically, "L please wake up!" _I love you._

**I know I took ages on this one too, I'm really sorry. **

**Please review, I really want to know what you think – and I'll be able to update more often from next month!**


	22. 12th August 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 22 - 12th August 2004

"Please L!" Light called out again.  
"Give it up." Watari snapped. "He won't wake."

Light watched the old man plug a large black box into a socket on the wall and wrap the wire protruding from it around his unhandcuffed arm. The wire was covered, up to the point where it touched his skin, in black tubing - which was decorated with small white 'L's at regular intervals.

Light felt sick. He didn't want to believe his L even owned torture equipment, let alone that he would write his name all over it. Watari flicked the switch and Light tensed, but all that happened was a small red light appeared on the black box.

"Wait." Light said, "Watari! Won't the handcuffs conduct electricity?"  
"Indeed they would – But it's about time for this nonsense to stop." Watari produced a key from his pocket and walked over to the bed.  
"Don't touch him!" Light growled, struggling against the rope.  
Watari ignored him, unfastened L's handcuff and wrapped the chain around Light's body. Light didn't take his eyes off the sleeping detective. _You have to wake up. Please L._  
"L!" he called once more, knowing it was pointless. "Please don't let him do this to me."  
"Now, Kira," Watari began, "I suggest you start talking."  
"I am not Kira."

Watari pressed a button on the box and a small ripple of electricity ran over Light's skin. It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't unbearable either.

"That was just to prove that L's contraption, crude as it looks, does work." Watari explained. "I am turning up the voltage now." The old man bent over the box and Light watched as more lights began to appear beside the first. Watari didn't stop until a warning triangle lit up as well.

"Please don't do this." Light tried to reason with him. "I'm not Kira."  
"L believes that you are."  
"No." Light glared at the man, willing himself not to cry, not to show weakness. "He believed I was Kira – He doesn't anymore."

"Because you have deceived him." Watari snarled. "You took advantage of his friendship in order to secure your freedom." Watari pressed the button again and suddenly Light was burning with the most intense pain he had ever endured. He felt as if every cell in his body was about to burst. He didn't realise he was screaming until eventually it stopped and he was able to think again. His heart was racing his breathing and Light was pretty sure both were setting records.

"L wouldn't want this." He choked out as his breathing began to slow a few minutes later.  
"Stop wasting time and tell me how you kill people." Watari demanded  
"I don't." Light spat. "I've never killed anyone."  
"Liar." Watari pressed the button again.

* * *

L could hear screaming. He wished it would stop; his head ached and he felt like his mind was surrounded by a heavy fog.  
"Light-Kun." He moaned, reaching out for the teen.  
Light is not in bed. He felt around for the chain. The chain is not in bed either. L opened his eyes halfway to frown at his wrist. The handcuff is not in bed.  
L's eyes snapped open fully and he sat up. The screaming stopped. He could hear someone panting.

L looked in the direction of the sound. "What is going on?" He asked, clutching his head and climbing shakily out of bed. He looked from Light to Watari, to the electrocution device he had designed last year, and then back to Light.

"L!" Light said. "Please, help me."  
L moved clumsily over to Light and wrapped his arms around the teen.  
"Watari." L glared at the older man. "What are you doing to Light-Kun."  
"I am interrogating him." Watari replied pleasantly. "It needs to be done. People are dying every day and you've been tricked into believing Kira's lies. Please L, either stand back or come to your senses and take over."

L let go of Light and walked over to Watari, "Leave us. Now." He commanded.  
Watari glared at light. "Admit it." He spat. "You are Kira."  
"L, please!" Light said, looking up at him with tears rolling down his face.

Watari pressed the button on the black box and L realised he had turned it to full power. Light's screams jolted L into action. He ripped the cord from the wall socket and pushed Watari away from the device.  
"GET OUT." He shouted at the old man. "Now."  
Watari smiled sadly and nodded. "As you wish." He said, walking out of the room.

L removed the wire from Light's arm, taking care not to aggravate the burnt skin beneath it. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

Light didn't know what to say. He allowed L to untie him from the chair and lead him over to the bed. L turned off the lights and Light heard him walk to the bed and snap the handcuff back over his wrist.

"I'm sorry." L said again, sitting down beside him.  
Light nodded. "Were you really planning to do that to me?"  
"Well…" L sighed. "I hadn't decided to use that specifically."  
"But you were going to torture me."  
"No." L said, "I mean, yes. I did consider it. But that was a long time ago – while you were in confinement and people were still being killed. I needed to stop Kira."  
"I see." Light lay down carefully. "What changed your mind?"  
"I, I don't know." L sighed, "It was before we released you, before the handcuffs."  
"Do you still believe I'm kira?"  
L didn't answer.  
"I see." Light said quietly. "So Watari was right."  
"About what?"  
"It is only our relationship that keeps you from arresting me as Kira."  
"No." L turned to look down at him. "There is no proof that you are Kira."  
"Proof?" Light sighed. "You're waiting for proof that I AM Kira? I thought you believed me. I thought you were waiting for proof so you could let me go."

"I'm not." L said, lying down beside the teen and running fingers through his hair. "I've stopped looking. I don't want proof at all. I don't want to know that I'm in love with a…" L trailed off.  
"With a murderer?" Light snapped, jerking his head away from L's hand. "L, how can you still believe that of me? You know me. You know I would never kill anyone."  
"Light," L stroked the teen's face. "I can't explain it yet; I don't understand this. I still need to think."  
"About what?" Light rolled onto his side, away from the detective. "Either you trust me, or you don't."  
"It's not that simple." L sighed, "I do trust you - but I've never been wrong before. You are the only suspect I have in this case."  
"But I'm not Kira."

L sighed, "Just go to sleep now Light, you look exhausted and you must need rest."  
"L," Light rolled over again and reached for the detective. "I was so scared - when Watari asked you to come to your senses and take over torturing me."  
"You thought I would?"  
"I don't know. I feel like I don't know who you are anymore." Light sighed, "You made that thing."  
"Please don't say that." L hugged the teen, "Nothing has changed. I'm still the same person and we still love each other… don't we?"  
"But it feels wrong." Light whispered.  
"We'll be okay in the morning." L soothed, "Sleep now."

* * *

Light hadn't said anything after that. But L knew he hadn't fallen asleep straight away; he'd felt Light sobbing quietly in his arms – and he hadn't known what to do. Light was right. Something had changed between them. _It's reality. We've been avoiding the real world too much… and now Watari's brought it all back._ L sighed. He didn't know what to do. _I love Light. But if he's Kira and I'm L – this can't last. _

L lay there for hours, thinking it over. He didn't want this to stop; he didn't want reality to take Light away from him. But he couldn't just ignore this – or could he? Could he bury his head and tell reality to go away? _I've never run away from my problems before… but I can't let him go. _L looked at the teen beside him, the dried tears visible in the morning light. _Don't I deserve to be happy? _

Light woke up to L's fingers running softly through his hair.  
"That's nice." He whispered.  
"Do you feel okay this morning?"  
"What?" Light opened his eyes "Oh," He closed them again and exhaled slowly as he remembered what had happened. "I don't know."  
"I love you." L whispered.  
"You can't just say that and expect it to be okay."  
"Why not?" L leant over to kiss Light's cheek. "I love you and you love me – that's all that matters."

Light frowned at the detective.

"You do still love me? Don't you?" L bit his lower lip.  
"You know I do." Light reached out to touch him. "But you think I'm a murderer – and I know you torture people."  
"But that doesn't matter." L insisted.  
"It does to me."  
"What if I say I've changed my mind? I don't think you are Kira."  
"Really?"  
"Really." L blushed. "I love you and I couldn't be with you if you were a murderer."  
"Thank you L." Light smiled. "Thank you for believing me."

* * *

"Good morning." Watari smiled as they joined the task force a few hours later. "How are you today?"  
"I'll live." Light said. "No thanks to you."  
"I wasn't asking you." Watari glared at him. "L?"  
L sighed, "I'm fine Watari." he didn't look at the man as he lead Light over to the computers, he hadn't decided how exactly he felt about what Watari had done, and he didn't want to face that dilemma just yet.

Light adjusted his shirt sleeve where it rubbed on his burnt skin. He couldn't quite get his head around the fact that he'd actually been tortured. _Why won't Watari believe that I'm innocent? Or is this just about me and L? Is he just trying to split us up? _Light began scrolling through the latest deaths, trying desperately to find some sort of pattern that could lead them to the real Kira. _I'll make him pay when I find him. _

"Light?" Misa whispered in his ear, snaking her arms around him. "When can we go on another date?"  
"I don't know Misa." Light said. "I've got a lot of work to do."  
"But you never want to go on dates with me." Misa pouted, "I know it's annoying with the pervert being there too – but it's better than no dates at all."  
"Maybe soon." Light told her. "But I need to concentrate now. I can't do that with you here."  
"Well, I guess I can understand that." Misa laughed, kissing him on the cheek. "Do you promise we can have a date soon?"  
"Yeah." Light sighed.  
"Okay." Misa kissed again and skipped across the room to annoy Matsuda.

Light glanced at L. _Is he playing solitaire? _Light frowned. _He only just promised me he'd start looking for kira properly again… _  
"L?" Light hissed.  
"Yes Light-Kun?" L minimised the game and turned to smile at him.  
"what were you doing just now?"  
"I was thinking." L said, putting the end of a strawberry shoelace into his mouth. "Is that okay?"  
"Yeah." Light grinned. _I just love the way he eats. I can't wait to have him to myself again tonight. _

L waited till Light had returned his attention to his own monitor. As soon as he was sure Light wasn't looking he closed the game and went back to his old practice of playing with a random company's sales figures. _I can't believe there are still another three hours till we can be alone again._L copied and pasted more figures into his spreadsheet and continued trying to find some sort of pattern in them, just to pass the time.

* * *

"L?" Watari said quietly as the rest of the task force left for the night. "This is getting ridiculous."  
"What is?"  
"Your insistence on being handcuffed to Light Yagami."  
"I have explained my reasoning before."  
"It's not right L." Watari sighed. "It makes me sick to think of you sharing your bed with him."  
"Then perhaps you should stay out of our bedroom Watari?" L suggested. "Come on Light-Kun. We are going now."

Light followed L over to the lift, desperate to escape Watari. The old man had been shooting him evil looks all day, probably trying to work out a new plot to ruin everything. _It won't work. L believes I'm innocent now – He can't split us up. _

Light took L's hand as soon as they reached their floor. "So, can I cook something for you today?"  
"Something yummy?" L grinned at him.  
"An actual meal? Please?" Light begged,  
"okay."  
"Great." Light kissed L and dragged him down the corridor towards the kitchen. "I'll cook something English for you if you want? I can do chips? And fish? That's what they eat in England isn't it.  
"I believe so." L said. _Just eat it. _He commanded himself. _Whatever it tastes like – It'll make Light happy if I eat it. _

* * *

L didn't eat much of the meal, he simply didn't have the appetite, but Light seemed pleased – and that had been the whole point.  
"That was nice." L said. "Thank you Light."  
"Really? You liked it?"  
"Yes" L lied. "Can we go to bed now?"  
"Sounds good to me." Light smiled, leading L out of the kitchen and down the corridor towards their bedroom.

L shut the door and locked it behind them. He turned to face the teen and Light pulled him into a tight embrace.  
"I'm so glad you don't think I'm Kira." He whispered, pressing his lips to L's. "I love you."  
L didn't reply; he just kissed Light back and the two of them moved clumsily across the room, both far too busy removing clothes to bother looking where they were going. They fell together onto the bed and Light leant over the detective, running his hands over L's chest and enjoying the way L moaned against his lips as he moved one hand lower.

**Hi Readers,**

**I hope you are all enjoying the story.**

**I want to let you know that unfortunately I no longer have time to respond to every review – but I do read them all and they are very much appreciated. So please continue to review - they motivate me to write faster and help me see what you guys are liking and not liking...**

**Of course, I will still respond if you ask me something or if I feel the need to reply to anything you've said – but I can't commit to replying to all of them – the FFN system is to awkward.**

**However – if you want to leave a comment on my deviantART or my blog (or email me) – I will reply to those.**

**Thank you again to everyone who has taken the time to read my stories, and especially to those who have reviewed and/or added me to your update lists.**

**The next chapter should be out in a few weeks :D**


	23. 13th August 2004

**Innocence**

Chapter 23 - 13th August 2004

L dreamt again that night. Nothing like the dream about Light at Wammy's, but still not a pleasant dream. He couldn't remember any of it clearly, but he felt certain he had betrayed everyone he cared about. He chewed on his lip as he looked over Light's sleeping face and tried to convince himself that the dream meant nothing.

A few hours later, Light woke up and his soft brown eyes found L's. Light smiled and reached out to stroke L's face. The detective smiled back and leant down to kiss him. The dream seemed far away now. Light was simply too beautiful to be a killer.

Light closed his eyes again as L kissed him. He was feeling good today. L believed in him and together they would find Kira and make him pay. L deepened the kiss and Light smiled and rolled L to the side, climbing on top of him. He loved having the detective pinned beneath him like this. He loved the way their bodies pressed together, the way L squirmed as Light teased at his nipples -and the way L's cock twitched beneath him. Light trailed kisses along the detective's jaw and neck as he moved his hips, pressing their arousals together. L gasped and Light reclaimed his mouth, kissing him deep and slow.

_This is heaven. _ L trailed his arms over Light's back, pulling him even closer. Light's skin was warm against his and L couldn't imagine anywhere more perfect. He didn't ever want to get out of bed.

* * *

Light seemed rather panicked when he got out of the shower. L followed him as he rushed around the room, getting dressed and trying to comb his hair at the same time. After a few minutes Light turned to frown at L.

"Why aren't you dressed?"

L shrugged. "I don't want to get dressed."

"You can't go down to work in a towel. Watari would murder me."

"I didn't mean I'd go downstairs like this." L said. "I thought we could take a day off."

"But we can't afford to."

"Of course we can."

"We need to catch Kira" Light said, taking L's hands in his. "Please?"

"One day off won't hurt."

"L, the sooner we catch him, the sooner we can really be together."

L shrugged. "I don't want to work today."

"Please L, people are dying."

"I don't want to go downstairs."

"Why?"

L sighed. "I don't want to see Watari again." He said. "I don't know what to do about him."

"Once we catch Kira it will be okay."

"I'm not going downstairs." L said. "You can work on my laptop if you want."

* * *

L watched the teen work. Light's investigative methods were very similar to his own, which was worrying. He didn't want Light to succeed. L didn't want to think about Kira. He didn't particularly want to think at all. He wanted to stay with Light forever and he didn't want constant reminders of how impractical that was.

"Light-Kun?"

"Yes L?"

"I think it's time you took a break."

"I've only been working an hour and a half." Light said, without looking away from the screen. "I'm good."

"You should take a break every fifteen minutes." L said. "Some time away from the problems will give your mind time to process it all."

"Really?"

"Yes." L smiled. "That's what I'm doing."

"Well, you do know more about detective work." Light sighed. "I'll have a short break if you think it will help."

"Great." L smiled, sitting down beside the teen and taking the laptop from him. "I know the best way to relax your mind."

L clicked an icon on his desktop. Light was surprised when a Cyclops appeared on screen and L's quick fingers typed details into a log in box. But he was not surprised that L's password was once again the name of his favourite chocolates.

The screen changed to show a list of what Light supposed were people of some sort. L clicked 'create new character'.

"Is this a game?"

"Of course. Don't teenagers in japan play online games?"

"I don't." Light said, "I spend most of my time studying."

"But games are fun." L said. "Look, here you can choose what your character looks like."

"Why is he green?"

"He's a goblin. You can choose an elf or something if you want." L pointed to some buttons at the side of the screen.

Eight hours and twenty-seven quests later, Light looked up. "It's dark."

"That happens." L smiled.

"I was only supposed to have a short break."

"Look, there's some mithril you can mine over there."

"L. I don't care about mithril."

"Of course you do." L said, "Go and mine it."

Light directed his character to the rock L was pointing at. "L, we're supposed to be catching Kira."

"We are."

"Kira isn't playing games." Light put the computer down on the bed and stood up to stretch.

"Don't just leave him there. You'll die." L pounced on the laptop and returned Light's warrior to safety.

"This is stupid. Let's get something to eat and then I'm going back to work."

"Good idea. Let's go out for dinner."

"Why?"

"Because I want to go out with you."

"Okay…" Light frowned. "You wouldn't even go downstairs this morning."

"That's different." L said. "Come on. I'll even let you choose the restaurant."

"Sure." Light smiled. "A change of scene might help me think and we might find some clues while we're out."

* * *

The restaurant Light chose was a pizza place he'd been to with some friends a few years before. It wasn't overly expensive, but it was nice. They did some ridiculous deserts too, so he thought L would like it.

The detective didn't look very comfortable in the shirt and properly fitting jeans Light had forced him to borrow, but he did look good. Light squeezed his hand gently as they were led to their table.

L sat down across the from Light and looked around, taking in the details of the restaurant's security system, the pattern of the wallpaper and the percentage of people who were giving them and the handcuffs disapproving looks. Light didn't seem to care, or perhaps he hadn't even noticed. In fact, all of his attention seemed to be focused on L. The detective felt himself blush under Light's gaze and tried to loosen the collar of his borrowed shirt.

"So do you have any ideas about the new Kira?" Light asked as he looked over the menu.

L sighed. "We shouldn't discuss the case here."

"Nobody's listening."

"You can never be too careful."

"Fine. I was just asking." Light flicked a page in his menu rather aggressively. "You still don't seem to be trying to catch him."

"I am thinking about it." L said. "But can we please discuss other matters."

A few minutes later, Light closed his menu. "Have you decided what you want?"

"The Cookie Dough Mountain desert."

"You have to have a main meal first."

"I don't want one."

"Well, I'll get a large pizza and we can share." Light said.

"Fine."

"Do you have any preference over the toppings?"

"No. I dislike all of them."

"Have you even tried pizza before?"

L thought back to the few things he'd been forced to eat over the years. "No."

"We'll just get a cheese and tomato one then."

"Fine."

Light caught the waiter's eye and he came over to stand at their table.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Yes, thank you." Light smiled. "We'd like a large margarita to share."

"Drinks?"

"A coke and a strawberry milkshake."

"Sure." the waiter smiled. "Any side orders with your meal?"

"No thank you."

The waiter slipped his notepad into the pocket of his apron and tucked his pencil behind his ear. "I'll bring your drinks in a moment." He smiled.

As soon as he was gone, Light looked over at L, who was glaring at the table.

"Are you okay?"

"He was looking at you."

"That's what people do when they talk."

"Not like that. He looked at you the way Misa looks at you."

"L? Are you jealous?"

"No." L frowned at the table. "But you were looking at him too."

"Yes… I was talking to him."

"You're not looking at me like that."

"What? Of course not." Light sighed. "Can't you tell how I'm looking at you?"

L looked up to meet Light's gaze and shivered. "I'm sorry Light-Kun. I just don't like having all these pretty people to compete with."

"You know there's no competition."

"You're still dating Misa."

"You know why."

The waiter reappeared then and placed the milkshake in front of Light and the coke in front of L.

"Thank you." Light said, carefully not looking at him this time. When he'd gone again, Light reached across the table and took L's hand in his. "What's wrong L?"

"Nothing."

"You seem worried. You're getting annoyed over silly things."

"I'm not silly."

"I didn't say you were. But something must be worrying you."

"No. I'm fine." L smiled. "Everything's fine." He took his hand out of Light's, pushed the coke across the table and pulled the milkshake towards him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Everything is perfect." L sipped at the milkshake. "This is very nice."

"Good." Light smiled.

The pizza arrived a few minutes later and L glared at it as Light lifted out a slice and put it onto his plate. L picked up his fork and prodded the triangle of bread, tomato and cheese. It certainly didn't look particularly appetising. He looked up at Light.

"Just try it." The teen smiled, picking his own slice up with his fingers and taking a bite.

L copied him, getting into a bit of a mess with the stringy cheese. The pizza wasn't as bad as he'd expected it to be. It wasn't something he enjoyed eating, but it was tolerable - Much better than the fish Light had cooked him. L made his way slowly through the slice and by the time he looked up again, there were only a few slices left.

"You eat fast."

"You eat slow." Light smiled. "Those bits are yours."

L took one more slice of pizza. "I don't think I can eat any more than this."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. You have it."

"You seem to like it."

"It's okay." L shrugged. "I want to save some room for desert though."

Light smiled at him and transferred the last two slices to his own plate.

* * *

They walked back to the headquarters an hour later, after sharing the cookie dough and ice-cream desert, which had actually been a lot better than Light had expected. Although, L had eaten most of it. He seemed a little happier now. Light wasn't sure what was wrong with the detective, but there was definitely something that wasn't quite right. It felt a bit like L was hiding something from him, but he had no idea what that might be.

L watched Light carefully as they walked through the lobby and waited for the elevator. He looked like he was thinking. L hoped it wasn't about Kira. He needed to keep Light distracted.

L pounced on Light as soon as they were alone on their own floor. He pushed the teen against the wall and kissed him as passionately as he could. Then he allowed Light to take control. He let himself be pressed into the wall opposite and let all worries leave him. Light was sufficiently distracted and the taste of cookie dough and ice-cream still lingered on his tongue…

**Sorry this chapter took longer than I said it would... I'm rubbish getting things done on time.**

**Hope you like it and thanks for reading :D**


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